The broad definition of molecular biology is the study of biological phenomena from the molecular perspective. The narrow definition is the study of the molecular level of gene structure and function. This is a discipline derived from genetics and biochemistry.

Molecular biology is mainly devoted to the development of research techniques for the interaction between different systems in cells, including the relationships between DNA, RNA, protein and protein biosynthesis and understanding how they are regulated.

Molecular biology mainly studies the molecular basis of the processes of replication, transcription and translation of genetic material. The central principle of molecular biology is that “DNA transcribes mRNA, mRNA translates protein, and protein in turn assists the first two processes and assists in DNA self-replication”. While this description is too simplistic (especially as new functions of RNA are still being discovered), but it is nevertheless a good starting point for understanding the field.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an extremely versatile technique for replicating DNA in vitro. In short, PCR technology enables single-stranded DNA to be copied millions of times, and also allows the DNA sequence to be modified in a predetermined way. For example, PCR technology can be used to introduce restriction sites, or to mutate (change) specific DNA bases. PCR technology can also be used to obtain specific DNA fragments from a complementary DNA (cDNA) library, or from another perspective, to determine whether a cDNA library contains specific DNA fragments.

CareLink’s equipment was designed specifically for use in molecular biology labs.