• a technology enabling us to extract a tiny quantity of DNA from a single hair or drop of blood at the scene of a crime and increase the amount of it a million times or more so that it can be analysed
• a technology allowing us to analyse the DNA from a bacterial or viral infection in order to diagnose an illness
• a technology that makes it possible to mass-produce DNA from fossil remains, extinct for millions of years

This technology exists - it is the polymerase chain reaction.

	Copies of a poster on the polymerase chain reaction have been distributed to all secondary schools in the UK. Download a copy of the poster (you will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view it).
	Like all brilliant ideas, the polymerase chain reaction is incredibly simple yet extremely clever at the same time. These pages provide details of the reaction to supplement the information on the poster.
	Learn more about the polymerase chain reaction by studying this animation.
	The polymerase chain reaction has found a place at the heart of forensic scientists' armoury in the fight against crime. Read about the way PCR is used to track down criminals - and the bizarre role it played in bringing to justice the killer of one of the early DNA scientists.
	The first big plague of the 21st century is a disease called SARS. What are the facts about it? How can it be detected? How might it be defeated? And what role can PCR play?
	PCR has been responsible for some big changes in the way that doctors detect disease. This has made it possible to detect diseases far earlier than could even be dreamt of in the past. How would you communicate the impact of these changes to newspaper readers?
	DNA technology has the potential to change our lives in all kinds of ways. Read about some of the possibilities - and decide which way YOU think the future should go.
	The poster and Web pages contain a wealth of information about the polymerase chain reaction. When you think you know it all, try this simple quiz to test your knowledge.
	The world of science is constantly changing - and this is especially true for the science of DNA and genetics. Keep up to date with the hottest ideas in DNA technology here.
	The world of biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry depend on thousands of people in a whole range of different jobs. Find out here about some of these life enhancing careers.