The Transformational Role of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in Environmental Health Research

Abstract

The Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has transformed the entire world of scientific research, especially the biological sciences and its related disciplines. It is a technique that allows the exponential amplification of target DNA sequences. Polymerase chain reaction has tremendously wide application in diverse fields of study. Some of these include, Classification of organisms, Archaeological studies, Mutation detection, DNA Sequencing and phylogenetic studies, Diagnosis of medical disorders and diseases, Cancer research, HIV detection, Detection of pathogens (both plant and animals), Genetic fingerprinting, Drug discovery and toxicity testing, Genetic engineering, Pre-natal diagnosis of genetic disorders, Environmental pollution monitoring and control, Environmental and public health monitoring, forensic and criminology,  etc. Whilst, the use of Polymerase chain reaction procedures are widely adopted by industries, laboratories and research centres in developed countries, developing countries such as Nigeria are yet to harness the tremendous benefit of this revolutionary scientific tool of molecular biology.  Hence this paper attempts to elucidate the usefulness of PCR-based research as it relates to Environmental health in particular. Unlike the traditional use of culture media in isolation and detection of pathogenic organisms in environmental samples, which are often fastidious, slow and sometimes grossly misleading, the use of PCR-based molecular approach is rapid and sensitive and could be used as an alternative method for monitoring environmental health quality.

Keywords: PCR, Molecular Biology, Environmental health, DNA