PCR Master Mix Pitfalls

When selecting a universal PCR master mix, the biggest pitfalls to avoid include:

1. Incompatible reaction conditions: Some master mixes may not be suitable for certain types of PCR, such as high-throughput or long-amplicon PCR, due to differences in reaction conditions.
2. Low specificity or sensitivity: The mix may not be able to detect or amplify a specific target or may produce false positives, resulting in inaccurate results.
3. Inadequate storage conditions: Some master mixes may be sensitive to temperature or light, and may degrade if stored improperly.
4. Poor performance with certain template types: Some master mixes may not perform well with certain template types, such as GC-rich or AT-rich sequences, resulting in low amplification efficiency.
5. High cost: some master mixes can be expensive which can affect the number of experiments that can be done in your budget.