GoTaq polymerase

Of Elephant Research and Wildlife Crime – Molecular Tools that Matter

Posted on by Nicole Sandler

Here at Promega we receive some interesting requests…

Take the case of Virginia Riddle Pearson, elephant scientist. Three years ago we received an email from Pearson requesting a donation of GoTaq G2 Taq polymerase to take with her to Africa for her field work on elephant herpesvirus. Working out of her portable field lab (a tent) in South Africa and Botswana, she needed a polymerase she could count on to perform reliably after being transported for several days (on her lap) at room temperature. Through the joint effort of her regional sales representative in New Jersey/Pennsylvania (Pearson’s lab was based out of Princeton University at the time) and our Genomics product marketing team, she received the G2 Taq she needed to take to Africa. There she was able to conduct her experiments, leading to productive results and the opportunity to continue pursuing her work.

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T-Vector Cloning: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Posted on by Radhika Ganeshan
Blue/White colony screening helps you pick only the colonies that have your insert.
Blue/White colony screening helps you pick only the colonies that have your insert.

Q: Can PCR products generated with GoTaq® DNA Polymerase be used to for T- vector cloning?

A: Yes. GoTaq® DNA Polymerase is a robust formulation of unmodified Taq Polymerase. GoTaq®DNA Polymerase lacks 3’ →5’ exonuclease activity (proof reading) and also displays non-template–dependent terminal transferase activity that adds a 3′ deoxyadenosine (dA) to product ends. As a result, PCR products amplified using GoTaq® DNA Polymerase will contain A-overhangs which makes it suitable for T-vector cloning.

We have successfully cloned PCR products generated using GoTaq® and GoTaq® Flexi DNA Polymerases into the pGEM®-T (Cat.# A3600), pGEM®-T Easy (Cat.# A1360) and pTARGET™ (Cat.# A1410) Vectors.

Q: Can GoTaq® Long PCR Master Mix be used for T-Vector Cloning?

A: Yes it can. GoTaq® Long PCR Master Mix utilizes recombinant Taq DNA polymerase as well as a small amount of a recombinant proofreading DNA polymerase. This 3´→5´ exonuclease activity (proof reading) enables amplification of long targets. Despite the presence of a small amount of 3´→5´ exonuclease activity, the GoTaq® Long PCR Master Mix generates PCR products that can be successfully ligated into the pGEM®-T Easy Vector System.

We have demonstrated that GoTaq® Long PCR Master Mix successfully generated DNA fragments that could be ligated into pGEM®-T Easy Vector System without an A-tailing procedure, and with ligation efficiencies similar to those observed with the GoTaq® Green Master Mix.

For details refer to Truman, A., Hook, B. and Wieczorek, D. Using GoTaq® Long PCR Master Mix for T-Vector Cloning.

Tip: For cloning blunt-ended PCR fragments into T-vectors, use the A-tailing protocol discussed in the pGEM®-T and pGEM®-T Easy Technical Manual #TM042.

Q: How do I prepare PCR products for ligation? What products can be used to purify the DNA?

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What’s for Dinner? Mystery Meat Served at the 47th Explorer’s Club Annual Dinner Finally Identified

Posted on by Michele Arduengo
Could this be the 1951 mystery meat?
Could this be the 1951 mystery meat?

I remember one particular encounter with “mystery meat” when I was in college. I was walking along the serving line at the dining hall, and when I came to the entrée, I asked the server, “What is it?”

She replied quite succinctly, “Don’t know. Got beef in it.” I passed on the entrée that night, settling for salad and bread.

I would probably not have be a good candidate for membership in the Explorers Club.

The Explorers Club, founded in New York City in 1904, is a professional society that champions the cause of field research (1). The member list is impressive, including Teddy Roosevelt, the American President responsible for setting aside many of the most treasured public lands in the United States so that explorers have fields for research and wild places for adventures, Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, and Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard, the two men who descended into the Mariana’s trench to explore the deepest part of the ocean, among others.

In addition to a membership list that reads like a who’s who of science and exploration, The Explorers Club also has an annual dinner that for many years has popularized a menu of “exotic” foods (at least exotic foods from the point of view of the typical Midwest United States pallet). One of the club’s most celebrated dinners took place on January 13, 1951.

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