How to Prevent Cross-Contamination During PCR Test

To prevent cross-contamination in nucleic acid testing, strict adherence to proper laboratory techniques is essential. Here are some key measures:

1. **Physical Separation**: If possible, try not to put the nucleic acid extractor and PCR on the same table. Also reagents and instruments in distance. Trash cans for collecting waste need to have lids. The entire work surface needs to be kept clean and orderly.(below is wrong example)

2. **Use of Dedicated Equipment**: Employ separate sets of pipettes, tubes, and other equipment for each step of the testing process. Avoid sharing equipment between extraction and PCR areas.

3. **Disposable Supplies**: Preferentially use single-use, disposable consumables whenever possible. This reduces the chance of residual nucleic acids from previous samples contaminating subsequent ones.

4. ** Correct operation**: Open and tighten the sample test tube correctly to avoid touching the inner wall of the test tube with your hands. Use pipettes correctly to avoid pipette contamination, etc.

5. **Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)**: Wear appropriate PPE, including gloves and face mask, to minimize the risk of introducing contaminants from the environment or the operator.

6. **Environmental disinfection**:.Before and after the experiment, the environment was disinfected with 10% sodium hypochlorite. Pay special attention to areas prone to contamination, such as pipette tips and tube caps. Ventilate and exhaust the laboratory from time to time

7. **Regular Quality Control**: Implement stringent quality control measures, including negative controls and contamination checks, to monitor for any signs of cross-contamination.