Taq DNA polymease and its key features

Taq DNA polymerase is one the important component in the PCR Mastermix. Role of Taq DNA polymerase is to amplify the DNA strands. Let’s look at the features of Taq DNA polymerase in detail:

Specificity
Fidelity
Processivity / Speed
Thermostability

Specificity

One of the major challenge in PCR is the specific amplification of target DNA. Nonspecific amplification occurs due to the extension of misprimed targets and primer dimer formation. This can impact overall sensitivity and specificity of PCR assay.