Cocktail sticks and toothpicks supplier

[Paul N Hengen]

Harry Witchel (Harry.Witchel at Bristol.Ac.Uk) wrote:

> I am not aware of the kind of cocktail sticks/toothpicks that one can 
> get at a Chinese supermarket, but I can say that supermarket brand 
> cocktail sticks are generally impregnated with disinfectant for hygienic 
> purposes.

I don't think they do this with the plastic picks(?).

> The best cocktail sticks for the lab are Canadian virgin wood. 
> I can name a supplier, but he is a wholesaler who will only sell you a 
> lifetime supply:
> 
> Bray Leisure Ltd.
> Park Rd.
> Farringdon
> Oxford
> 
>    Best wishes,
>    Harry

Are these known not to inhibit the PCR? Pine toothpicks were
found to kill amplification of DNA by Taq.

@article{Lee1995,
author = "A. B. Lee
     and T. A. Cooper",
title = "Improved direct {PCR} screen for bacterial
colonies: wooden toothpicks inhibit {PCR} amplification",
journal = "BioTechniques",
volume = "18",    
number = "2",
pages = "225-226",
year = "1995"}

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