MODEL RELEASED. Genetic analysis. Researcher using a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) system in a laboratory. The PCR technique is used to amplify small amounts of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), and is extensively used in genetics research and analysis. The sequencing of a genome, genetic fingerprinting, and the diagnosis of hereditary diseases, all use PCR techniques to amplify samples of DNA. The machine being used here (lower right) is a Bio-Rad iQ-5 Multicolor Real-Time PCR Detection System, used with iCycler technology. It can handle 96 separate samples, and automates much of the PCR process. The researcher is using the computer to follow the process. Photographed in the UK.