Convective polymerase chain reaction in standard microtubes

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most widely used method for nucleic acids amplification. To date, a huge number of versatile PCR techniques have been developed. One of the relevant goals is to shorten PCR duration, which can be achieved in several ways. Here, we report on the results regarding nucleic acids amplification by convective PCR (cPCR) in standard 0.2 ml polypropylene microtubes. The following conditions were found to be optimal for such amplification: 1) 70 μl reaction volume, 2) the supply of external temperature 145°С for the denaturation zone and 0°С for the annealing zone, 3) ∼30° inclination of the microtube main axis, 4) the use of nearby primers, and 5) duration of the reaction 15–20 min. At these conditions, the amplification products are accumulated in an amount sufficient to be registered by gel electrophoresis, and high sensitivity of the reaction comparable to that of conventional PCR is achieved. cPCR provided the reliable detection of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus RNA isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs of COVID-19 patients. [Display omitted] •Convective polymerase chain reaction can be performed in standard 0.2 ml tubes.•Efficient amplification using convective PCR (cPCR) lasts about 15–20 min.•CPCR requires nearby primers for the successful amplification of any target.•CPCR provides sensitivity and specificity similar to conventional PCR.•CPCR allows reliable detection of viral RNA like RNA from SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.