Lexie’s PCR with this primer set and a pool of Mercenria cDNA has yielded contamination in all of her waters. Performed two sets of PCR: one with her existing primer working stocks and the other with a fresh aliquot of primer working stocks. Used my own reagents/water. PCR set up and cycling params are here. PCR ran O/N.

Results:

Lane 1 - 100bp ladder

Lane 2 - H2O (Lexie’s primer stocks)

Lane 3 - H2O (Lexie’s primer stocks)

Lane 4 - cDNA (Lexie’s primer stocks)

Lane 5 - H2O (fresh primer stocks)

Lane 6 - H2O (fresh primer stocks)

Lane 7 - cDNA (fresh primer stocks)

All water samples look clean and there’s a nice bright band in the cDNA samples. Lexie’s contamination issue is probably a technique issue and not one of reagent contamination.