Nucleic acid amplification

A method of amplifying a whole genome, the method comprising,

• exposing cells to alkaline conditions to form a cell lysate, wherein the cell lysate comprises a whole genome, wherein the cells are exposed to alkaline conditions by mixing the cells with a lysis solution,
• reducing the pH of the cell lysate to form a stabilized cell lysate, wherein the pH of the cell lysate is reduced by mixing the cell lysate with a stabilization solution, and
• incubating the stabilized cell lysate under conditions that promote replication of the genome,
• wherein replication of the genome results in replicated strands, wherein during replication at least one of the replicated strands is displaced from the genome by strand displacement replication of another replicated strand.

A method of amplifying a whole genome, the method comprising,

• exposing cells to alkaline conditions to form a cell lysate, wherein the cell lysate comprises a whole genome, wherein the cells are exposed to alkaline conditions by mixing the cells with a lysis solution, wherein the lysis solution comprises 400 mM KOH, 100 mM dithiothreitol, and 10 mM EDTA,
• reducing the pH of the cell lysate to form a stabilized cell lysate, wherein the pH of the cell lysate is reduced by mixing the cell lysate with a stabilization solution, wherein the stabilization solution comprises 800 mM Tris-HCl, pH 4.1, and
• incubating the stabilized cell lysate under conditions that promote replication of the genome,
• wherein replication of the genome results in replicated strands, wherein during replication at least one of the replicated strands is displaced from the genome by strand displacement replication of another replicated strand.

A kit for amplifying a whole genome, the kit comprising

• a lysis solution,
• a stabilization solution,
• a set of primers, and
• a DNA polymerase.

A method of amplifying damaged DNA, the method comprising

• exposing a first damaged DNA sample to conditions that promote substantial denaturation of damaged DNA in the first damaged DNA sample, thereby forming a denatured damaged DNA sample,
• reducing the pH of the denatured damaged DNA sample to form a stabilized denatured damaged DNA sample,
• mixing a second damaged DNA sample with the stabilized denatured damaged DNA sample under conditions that promote transient denaturation of the ends of damaged DNA in the second sample and that maintain substantial denaturation of the damaged DNA in the stabilized denatured damaged DNA sample, thereby forming a damaged DNA mixture,
• cooling the damaged DNA mixture under conditions that promote annealing of the ends of the transiently denatured damaged DNA to the substantially denatured damaged DNA,
• incubating the annealed damaged DNA under conditions that promote replication of the damaged DNA, wherein the annealed ends of the damaged DNA prime replication, wherein replication of the damaged DNA results in repair of the replicated strands, wherein during replication at least one of the replicated strands is displaced by strand displacement replication of another replicated strand.