Based on the methods used by PCR lab, the PCR laboratory can be divided into three or four rooms or areas for (i) reagent preparation, (ii) sample preparation, (iii) amplification area, and (iv) product analysis area. If the PCR laboratory only uses real-time fluorescence PCR instruments and /or instruments for HIV virus load, the PCR lab may have only the first three rooms or areas (reagent preparation, sample preparation, amplification). The rooms or areas of the PCR lab should be independently separated, and there is no air flow through the separated rooms or areas.
For PCR product analysis area or last area of three areas (area for amplification and product analysis), direction of air flow shall be from outside to inside of the area by setting up fume hood, exhaust fan or other exhaust system in the area.
2.3 PCR实验室各区域仪器设备配备通常如下：
The equipment configuration for PCR labs are as follows/font>
The main equipment here should be: pipette, refrigerator, balance, low speed centrifuge, vortex mixer, mobile UV lamp, etc. It can use Laminar flow cabinet for the reagent preparation.
The main equipment is the bio-safety cabinet (type B2 is better, because it can avoid recycling of nucleic acid cabinet and cross contamination of specimens). Besides, it shall be equipped with pipettes, centrifuge table high speed (refrigerated and normal temperature), centrifuge table low speed, constant temperature devices (water bath or dry bath), refrigerator, vortex mixer and mobile lamp UV etc.
The main equipment here is a thermal cycler system for nucleic acid amplification (PCR, quantitative fluorescence detection or common). Power for the thermal cycler shall be provided with a manostat or a UPS to avoid the influence on PCR amplification arose by fluctuation of voltage. Moreover, depending on the work demand, the amplification area could be equipped with pipette, ultra clean cabinet, etc.
The equipment here may be pipette, electrophoresis system capillary, transblot system, chest/ oven molecule hybridization, water bath, DNA sequencer, microplate-reader for ELISA, microplate washer and so on.
In an optimal situation, for three rooms (reagent preparation, sample preparation, amplification) of the PCR lab one buffer area could be set up. The pressure in the buffer area should be positive to assure the indoor air could not flow to outside and the outside air could not flow to the inside