Okuzeka
Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · PCR and Laboratory Methods

Negative control

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

nounCore term

In genetics & biotechnology, negative control means: A sample or reaction in an experiment that is expected to give no result, used to show that a positive signal is not caused by contamination or error.

In Turkish: negatif kontrol

How it is used

Used in every well-designed experiment. In PCR it is often a no-template control (NTC), with water instead of DNA. If the negative control shows a band or signal, the run must be repeated. It is usually run alongside a positive control.

Example sentences

  1. The negative control showed a faint band, so I'm going to make fresh master mix.

  2. Always include a negative control and a positive control on every plate.

Common collocations

  • include a negative control
  • no-template control (NTC)
  • positive control
  • negative control sample
  • PCRPolymerase chain reaction: a lab method that makes millions of copies of a chosen DNA region by repeating cycles of heating and cooling with primers and a DNA polymerase.
  • qPCRQuantitative PCR, also called real-time PCR: a type of PCR that measures the amount of DNA as it is copied, using a fluorescent signal, to show how much target was in the sample.
  • western blotA method for detecting a specific protein in a sample: proteins are separated by size on a gel, moved onto a membrane and then detected with antibodies.
  • amplifyTo make many copies of a specific DNA sequence, usually by PCR.

More terms: PCR and Laboratory Methods

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: