Enzymes

Enzymes are biological catalysts that accelerate specific chemical reactions in a cell. In molecular diagnostics, they are used in various applications such as:

Nucleic Acid Amplification: Enzymes like DNA polymerases are crucial for techniques like PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), which amplifies specific DNA sequences for detection.

Restriction Digestion: Restriction enzymes cleave DNA at specific recognition sequences, creating fragments used for analysis in techniques like gel electrophoresis and Southern blotting.

Ligation: Ligases join DNA fragments, used in cloning and DNA modification techniques.

Probe Digestion: Enzymes can digest probes used in diagnostic assays after they hybridize to their target molecules.