Negative Control
Definition: The negative control consists of a qPCR master mix and nuclease-free water.
Use: The negative control ensures no template control omits any DNA or RNA template from a reaction and serves as a general control against contamination.
Positive Control
Definition: The positive control mixes the highly concentrated target of interest and nuclease-free water.
Use: The best practice for each target assay is to include a positive control. The positive control serves as a control to determine whether or not the qPCR reaction conditions are optimal.
Internal Control
Definition: LuminUltra offers several probe-based assays which contain internal controls.
Use: Internal Controls are intended to confirm that no inhibitors are present in the reaction and that the master mix amplifies properly to validate a qPCR result. Failed internal controls may indicate the presence of inhibitors.
Blank Control (specific to MST Lab Services)
Definition: A blank, or no-template control (NTC), contains all reaction components except template DNA or RNA. It detects and monitors background noise or non-specific amplification without the target sequence.
Use: The blank distinguishes true target amplification from non-specific signals or background noise. It establishes a baseline for true positive results by identifying the detection threshold in the absence of the target.