Accuris Hot Start Taq DNA Polymerase, 500 Units

The PR1000-HS-500 is the 500-unit pack of the Accuris Hot Start Taq DNA Polymerase family — 500 units of Hot Start Taq at 5 U/µL with antibody-mediated hot-start activation. The mid-low pack-size in the PR1000-HS family — a right-sized pack for benches running multiplex / GC-rich / low-copy PCR at moderate throughput where Hot Start chemistry's specificity matters but bulk-pack volume isn't necessary. Each kit ships with 1 tube of Hot Start Taq DNA Polymerase (100 µL at 5 U/µL) + 4 tubes of 5X buffer containing PCR enhancers and 15 mM MgCl₂. dNTPs are sold separately.

Key Specifications

What Hot Start Taq Does — and When to Pay the Premium

Hot Start Taq is chemically inhibited at room temperature by an inhibitory antibody bound to the polymerase active site. The antibody dissociates at the cycler's initial denaturation step (typically 95 °C for 2–5 minutes), restoring full polymerase activity for the rest of the cycling protocol. Three workflow-level benefits result:

1. Reactions can be assembled at room temperature — operator doesn't need to keep tubes on ice during multi-reaction setup; bench ergonomics improve and large-batch reactions become practical without losing specificity
2. Reduced non-specific amplification — extension of mismatched primers at low temperatures (a chronic issue with standard Taq during room-temperature setup) is suppressed by the antibody
3. Improved performance on demanding templates — multiplex PCR (multiple primer pairs, increased mispriming risk), GC-rich amplicons (increased secondary-structure mispriming), low-copy templates (where any non-specific amplification competes with the target signal)

Pay the Hot Start premium when specificity, multiplex performance, or workflow ergonomics matter. For routine well-optimized endpoint PCR with on-ice reaction assembly, the standard PR1000 Taq is the cost-effective pick.

Application Profile (per Hot Start Brochure Section)

Per the Accuris Life Science Reagents Catalog, Hot Start Taq applications:

• Colony PCR — direct PCR from bacterial colony for clone screening (template includes carryover bacterial debris that can mistemplate; hot-start specificity helps)
• Fast PCR — short-amplicon PCR with reduced cycle times where any non-specific amplification quickly dominates
• GC-rich DNA Amplification — GC-rich templates with secondary-structure-driven mispriming risk
• Low Copy PCR — workflows where the target template is at very low copy and any non-specific amplification competes with the specific signal
• Multiplex PCR — multi-primer-pair reactions where mispriming risk multiplies; hot-start dramatically improves multiplex specificity

The four "specialty" applications (GC-rich, low-copy, multiplex, fast PCR) are the Hot Start sweet-spot; for routine PCR with well-optimized protocols, standard Taq is sufficient.

PR1000-HS Pack-Size Family

Pick the 500-unit pack when the workflow uses Hot Start specifically for multiplex / GC-rich / low-copy / fast PCR applications at moderate throughput; step up to 1,000 / 6,000 for higher-volume workflows.

Standard Taq vs Hot-Start Taq — Cost Tradeoff

Hot Start premium is roughly 2× per-unit cost vs standard Taq at the same pack size — the workflow-decision question is whether the multiplex / GC-rich / low-copy specificity benefit (or the room-temperature setup ergonomics) justify the per-reaction cost differential.

Reagent Composition

Per the Accuris Life Science Reagents Catalog, each PR1000-HS-500 kit includes:

• 1 tube of Hot Start Taq DNA Polymerase at 5 U/µL (100 µL = 500 units)
• 4 tubes of 5X buffer containing PCR enhancers and 15 mM MgCl₂

dNTPs are not included — order separately from the Accuris dNTP catalog or supply from existing inventory.

Buffer & MgCl₂ Detail

The 5X buffer brings reactions to 1X with 3 mM MgCl₂ at standard buffer dilution. For workflows requiring different MgCl₂ concentrations (very GC-rich amplicons may benefit from 4–5 mM), supplemental MgCl₂ is needed.

For Hot Start workflows where the convenience of pre-formulated 2X master mix is preferred over standalone enzyme + buffer, see the PR1001-HS family (Hot Start Taq 2X Master Mix) — PR1001-HS-200 / PR1001-HS-1000 ship 200 / 1,000 reactions of pre-formulated 2X master mix with Hot Start Taq, 2 mM dNTPs, 6 mM MgCl₂, and PCR enhancers in a single tube.

Ordering & Configuration

dNTP procurement. dNTPs sold separately; plan to include both PR1000-HS-500 and a dNTP mix on the order.

Storage & handling. Per Accuris kit instructions — typical Taq polymerase storage at −20 °C with limited freeze-thaw cycle tolerance.

Workflow fit verification. Confirm at order that the workflow benefits from Hot Start chemistry (multiplex / GC-rich / low-copy / room-temperature setup) — for routine PCR with on-ice reaction assembly, the standard PR1000-500 at half the per-unit cost is the right pick.

Returns. Per the universe price-list category header: reagent products including PCR enzymes are non-returnable due to perishable nature.

Confirm at quote: workflow specialty (multiplex / GC-rich / low-copy?), pack-size match (500 vs 1,000 vs 6,000 units), standalone enzyme vs master-mix preference (PR1001-HS), dNTP procurement, shipping conditions (cold-chain), and lead time.

Warranty: Per Accuris Life Science Reagents standard kit warranty terms — confirm at quote.

Accuris PR1000-HS Hot Start Taq family:

- PR1000-HS-S — Sample size (trial / validation)

- PR1000-HS-500 (this product) — 500 units

- PR1000-HS-1000 — 1,000 units

- PR1000-HS-6000 — 6,000 units (bulk)

For master-mix convenience, see the PR1001-HS Hot Start 2X Master Mix family (pre-formulated buffer + dNTPs + MgCl₂ + Hot Start Taq in one tube).