PCR. Uninhibited.
StellarTaq™ DNA Polymerase (DNAP) is engineered for extreme inhibitor tolerance, speed, and specificity. The polymerase catalyzes 5′ → 3′ DNA synthesis, has 5′ → 3′ exonuclease activity, and is deficient in 3′ → 5′ exonuclease activity making it suitable for probe digestion. It amplifies uracil-containing templates, incorporates modified bases, and performs A-tailing on DNA products. Available in hot start, non-hot start, and glycerol-free formats.
Key Features and Benefits
- Extreme inhibitor tolerance offers robust amplification across a range of clinical sample types, including urine, blood, sputum and bile
- High speed enables fast PCR applications
- Hot start mechanism ensures high specificity
- Custom formats, including high concentrate and glycerol-free, support lyophilization
Applications
- Pathogen detection, including infectious diseases
- Fast PCR
- RT-qPCR
- PCR amplification of DNA fragments ≤ 5 kb
- Probe and intercalating dye-based qPCR
- PCR applications where biological inhibitors are present and specificity is important
Properties
Unit definition: One unit of StellarTaq DNA Polymerase incorporates 16 nmol of dNTPs into a DNA template in 30 minutes at 72°C
Reaction conditions* (materials not included in this kit):
- 20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.3
- 100 mM KCl
- 0.004% Tween 20
* Baseline reaction condition, optimization is required. See technical guide for more information.
Enzyme storage buffer:
- Standard: 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 100 mM KCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, 50% Glycerol, 0.05% Tween 20
- Glycerol-free: 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 300 mM KCl, 0.05% Tween 20
Key Performance Data
Extreme inhibitor tolerance for RT-qPCR and qPCR
Inhibitors common in clinical and biological samples can disrupt reverse transcription and DNA amplification, increasing the risk of reduced sensitivity or false negatives. An inhibitor-tolerant amplification system ensures reliable cDNA synthesis and target detection even from challenging sample types. Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits deliver robust inhibitor tolerance for accurate, consistent detection of both DNA and RNA targets, supporting reproducible performance in real-world samples.
Extreme inhibitor tolerance for qPCR and RT-qPCR
Ultra-fast amplification enables point-of-care assay development
Rapid amplification is critical for pathogen detection in point-of-care settings. New ultra-fast PCR platforms demand chemistries designed to keep up. Featuring StellarTaq DNA Polymerase, engineered for extreme speed, Stellar qPCR Kits are capable of producing reliable results in minutes using your platform of choice.
Figure 2. Generate results in minutes ... MORE
Ultra-fast amplification enables point-of-care assay development
Figure 2. Generate results in minutes. Probe-based qPCR reactions containing a range of 10,000 to 10 template copies were run using the Stellar qPCR Kit (Buffer A) and an OnsiteGene XDive thermal cycler. Reactions containing 10 copies of target template reached the cycle threshold in under 7 minutes.
Amplify in the presence of reverse transcriptase
For challenging or crude samples in viral pathogen detection, increasing reverse transcriptase concentration can boost yield and sensitivity — but too much can inhibit PCR efficiency. StellarTaq is designed to tolerate a wider range of RT concentrations, ensuring consistent, high-performance qPCR without compromise.
Amplify in the presence of reverse transcriptase
BROCHURES
Precision Enzymes and Proteins Brochure
Custom Genomic Solutions Enzymes MDx DNA Polymerase I Equinox Library Amplification Equinox Uracil-Tolerant Library Amplification phi29 DNAP RNase Inhibitor RNase H StellarScript RT StellarScript HT RT StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA Polymerase T4 DNA Ligase T4 DNAP T4 Polynucleotide Kinase T4 Gene 32 Protein Taq DNAPWatchmaker Genomics offers a portfolio of precision-engineered enzymes and proteins, designed to meet the demands of high-stringency applications. We provide tailored services such as custom fills, formats, packaging, and labeling to accommodate unique specifications.
StellarTaq DNA Polymerase Brochure
Pathogen Detection PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR DNA Blood Saliva/buccal Urine Enzymes MDx StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseThis brochure highlights the capabilities of StellarTaq DNA polymerase with respect to polymerization speed and inhibitor tolerance making it an excellent option for pathogen detection platforms and assays.
Custom Genomic Solutions Brochure
Custom Genomic Solutions Isothermal Amplification Pathogen Detection PCR/qPCR Rolling Circle Amplification RT-PCR/RT-qPCR Enzymes MDx Equinox Library Amplification Equinox Uracil-Tolerant Library Amplification phi29 DNAP Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) RNase Inhibitor RNase H Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits StellarScript RT StellarScript HT RT StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA Polymerase Bsu DNA Polymerase, Large Fragment T4 DNA Ligase T4 DNAP T4 Polynucleotide Kinase T4 Gene 32 Protein Taq DNAP T4 UvsX DNA Recombinase T4 UvsY ProteinWhether you need small-scale modifications or a fully custom solution, Watchmaker’s flexible model ensures you get exactly what you need — with speed, simplicity, and scientific precision.
Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits Brochure
Pathogen Detection PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR DNA RNA Blood Plasma/cfDNA Saliva/buccal Urine Enzymes MDx Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseStellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits are engineered for extreme inhibitor tolerance, speed, and specificity. Building on the established capabilities of StellarTaq™ DNA Polymerase and StellarScript® HT+ Reverse Transcriptase, Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits include buffers engineered for robust amplification in the presence of a range of inhibitors.
VIDEOS
Built for the frontline: Breaking POC barriers through protein engineering
CNV Calling Isothermal Amplification Methyl Sequencing PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR SNV/SNP/InDel Detection Variant Calling DNA RNA Blood Plasma/cfDNA Saliva/buccal Urine Enzymes MDx Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseThis video is part of the Watchmaker MDx workshop at AMP 2025, and features Trey Foskett explaining the science behind the Watchmaker protein engineering platform, and how this generates enzymes with improved performance.
Development of a highly inhibitor tolerant (RT)-qPCR system
PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR DNA RNA Blood Plasma/cfDNA Saliva/buccal Urine Enzymes MDx Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseLearn about the development of Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits, including how superior inhibitor tolerance enables extraction-free amplification. Recorded at the 2025 Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) conference, this workshop explains the enzyme engineering and buffer development that underpins the Stellar Kits.
POSTERS
The use of engineered reverse transcriptase and Taq DNA polymerase variants for improved activity and inhibitor tolerance in POC MDx applications
PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR DNA RNA Blood Saliva/buccal Urine MDx StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseThis poster presents data demonstrating the inhibitor tolerance of StellarTaq, including sample types such as urine, saliva and blood, purification contaminants such as heparin and DMSO, and reverse transcriptase.
Development of a highly inhibitor-tolerant engineered Taq DNA polymerase and qPCR system for POC MDx applications
Custom Genomic Solutions Pathogen Detection PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR DNA RNA Blood Microbial Plasma/cfDNA Saliva/buccal Urine Enzymes MDx Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseThis poster presents data demonstrating the inhibitor tolerance of StellarTaq and StellarScript HT+ using the buffers supplied with the Stellar qPCR and RT-qPCR Kits. Inhibitors include a range of blood-based samples, urine, saliva, UTM, bile salts, ethanol, GTC, humic acid and melanin. Performance was compared to that of commercially available products from other vendors.
PROTOCOLS
StellarTaq DNA Polymerase Technical Guide
Enzymes MDx StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseThis protocol details the use of StellarTaq™ DNA Polymerase - engineered for speed, inhibitor tolerance, and specificity for applications like pathogen detection, qPCR, and RT-qPCR. It also describes its ability to amplify uracil-containing templates, incorporate modified bases, and perform A-tailing on DNA products.
Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits Technical Guide
Pathogen Detection PCR/qPCR RT-PCR/RT-qPCR DNA RNA Blood Plasma/cfDNA Saliva/buccal Urine Enzymes MDx Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits StellarScript HT+ RT StellarTaq DNA PolymeraseTechnical guide for Stellar RT-qPCR and qPCR Kits. The Stellar kits were developed for multiplex probe-based RT-qPCR and qPCR using unpurified or partially purified samples.
| CONFIGURATION | |
|---|---|
| Kit contents (one of the following) | StellarTaq™ Hot Start DNA Polymerase (5 U/µL) StellarTaq Hot Start DNA Polymerase - Glycerol-Free (30 U/uL or 140 U/µL) StellarTaq DNA Polymerase (5 U/µl) StellarTaq DNA Polymerase - Glycerol-Free (140 U/µL) |
| Unit definition | One unit of StellarTaq DNA Polymerase incorporates 16 nmol of dNTPs into a DNA template in 30 minutes at 72°C. |
| Enzyme storage buffer formulation | Standard: 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 100 mM KCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, 50% Glycerol, 0.05% Tween 20 Glycerol-free: 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 300 mM KCl, 0.05% Tween 20 |
| QUALITY CONTROL | |
|---|---|
| Protein Purity Assay | >97% |
| RNase Contamination Assay* | Not detectable |
| Endonuclease Contamination Assay* | Not detectable |
| DNA contamination (E. coli, mammalian, library) | <10 copies |
| dsDNA Exonuclease Contamination Assay* | <1% released |
| ssDNA Exonuclease Contamination Assay* | <1% released |
| Phosphatase Contamination Assay* | <1% release |
| Unit Assay | Passed |
* As assessed using 50 U of protein input per assay
| SHIPPING AND HANDLING | |
|---|---|
| Shipping conditions | Glycerol-containing versions: Ice packs Glycerol-free versions: Dry Ice |
| Storage | -20°C ± 5°C |
| Shelf life | 12 months |
What differentiates StellarTaq™ DNA Polymerase (DNAP) from wild type Taq DNAP?
What are relevant applications for StellarTaq DNAP?
- Pathogen detection, including infectious diseases
- PCR amplification of DNA fragments (≤5 kb)
- Probe and intercalating dye-based qPCR
- RT-qPCR (also explore StellarScript HT+ Reverse Transcriptase and RNase Inhibitor)
- PCR applications where inhibitors are present
- Fast PCR
- PCR applications where specificity is important
Can StellarTaq DNAP be used for 1-step RT-qPCR?
Yes. Note that because reverse transcriptases can inhibit polymerase activity, 1-step RT-qPCR assays may benefit from higher polymerase concentrations. Our RNase Inhibitor and StellarScript HT+ Reverse Transcriptase are excellent choices for one and two-step RT-qPCR.
What polymerase and exonuclease activity does StellarTaq DNAP possess?
Does StellarTaq DNAP have hot start functionality?
What method of hot start is used with StellarTaq DNAP?
StellarTaq DNAP uses an antibody to enable hot start functionality.
Does the hot start functionality inhibit the 5' → 3' exonuclease activity as well as the 5' → 3' polymerase activity?
What ends will my PCR products have?
Can StellarTaq DNAP amplify uracil-containing templates?
Can StellarTaq DNAP incorporate modified or alternative bases?
Does StellarTaq DNAP exhibit strand displacement activity?
No. Any strand displacement activity is likely to be far exceeded by its 5' → 3' exonuclease activity that will digest any downstream strand encountered during polymerization.
Is StellarTaq DNAP provided in a glycerol-free format?
How many freeze/thaw cycles can glycerol-free StellarTaq DNAP tolerate?
StellarTaq DNAP is guaranteed to be stable up to 5 freeze/thaw cycles. However, repeated freeze-thaw cycles should be avoided if possible.
What is the storage buffer for StellarTaq DNAP?
- Glycerol-containing: 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 100 mM KCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, 50% Glycerol, 0.05% Tween 20
- Glycerol-free: 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 300 mM KCl, 0.05% Tween 20
What is the recommended reaction buffer for StellarTaq DNAP?
A standard 10X reaction buffer (not supplied with kit) is recommended:
- 200 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.3, 1000 mM KCl, 0.04% Tween 20
- Additional optimization is likely required. See technical guide for more information
Can I use the same reaction buffer as for wild type Taq DNAP?
No. StellarTaq DNAP performs well in a range of buffers, but requires higher salt concentrations than wild type Taq DNAP to perform optimally. The composition of the recommended 10X buffer (not supplied with kit) is a standard PCR buffer, tailored for the optimal salt concentration of StellarTaq DNAP(1000 mM KCl).
This buffer will need to be optimized for specific applications. Please reference our technical guide for optimization instructions.
What StellarTaq DNAP concentration should I use?
A good general purpose starting point is 0.012 U/μL of polymerase in the reaction. We recommend using higher concentrations (up to 0.12 U/μL) in reactions with high concentrations of inhibitors, for fast PCR, or when no amplification is observed at 0.012 U/μL.
We recommend using lower concentrations of StellarTaq DNAP if non-specific amplification is observed.
What final MgCl₂ concentration should I use?
We suggest using 2 mM MgCl₂ in the reaction. Mg²+ concentrations can alter reaction performance and may need to be optimized. Probe-based qPCR applications will benefit from increased MgCl₂ concentration. A scouting range between 1.5 – 6 mM MgCl₂ is recommended.
Are protected primers required for StellarTaq-based PCR amplification?
How can I maximize the yield from StellarTaq DNAP?
- Set up an initial salt concentration vs enzyme concentration matrix experiment to identify the optimal salt and enzyme concentration.
- Find the optimal magnesium concentration by performing a magnesium titration between 1.5 mM – 6 mM MgCl₂.
- Use templates shorter than 5 kb.
- Optimize annealing temperature of the primers.
- Optimize combined annealing and extension time to minimize non-specific amplification. Note that longer annealing and extension times can result in increased non-specific product formation.
Please reference our technical guide for additional details.
What is the amplification speed of StellarTaq DNAP?
StellarTaq DNA Polymerase can amplify up to 2 kb DNA in 10 seconds.
Do you offer custom formats?
Yes! Watchmaker offers customer fills, packaging, concentrations, and labeling – including private label – designed to meet your unique needs. We offer flexible terms to serve organizations of any size, and our right-sized processes enable rapid turnaround time on customization. Please contact sales@watchmakergenomics.com to learn more about our capabilities.
Are you ISO 13485-certified?
Yes! Our Quality Management System has achieved ISO 13485:2016 Certification. Our certificate has been awarded for the design, development, manufacture, contract manufacture, and support of high performing reagents for genomics applications in medical research. Download the certificate here.
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| Description | 0.25 kU | 1 kU | 7.5 kU | 7 kU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StellarTaq Hot Start DNA Polymerase (5 U/μL) | 7K0117-50UL | 7K0117-200UL | Request a quote | ||
| StellarTaq Hot Start DNA Polymerase (30 U/μL) Glycerol-free | 7K0121-50UL | Request a quote | |||
| StellarTaq Hot Start DNA Polymerase (140 U/μL) Glycerol-free | 7K0120-50UL | Request a quote | |||
| StellarTaq DNA Polymerase (5 U/μL) | 7K0116-50UL | 7K0116-200UL | Request a quote | ||
| StellarTaq DNA Polymerase (140 U/μL) Glycerol-free | 7K0118-50UL | Request a quote |
| Description | 500 rxn | |
|---|---|---|
| Stellar RT-qPCR Kit Incl. StellarTaq DNAP, StellarScript HT+ RT, 10X Reaction Buffers A and B, and 25 mM MgCl2. dNTPs not included. | 7K0142-500 | Request a quote |
| Stellar qPCR Kit Incl. StellarTaq DNAP, 10X Reaction Buffers A and B, and 25 mM MgCl2. dNTPs not included. | 7K0143-500 | Request a quote |
Please contact sales@watchmakergenomics.com to inquire about custom kit configurations.
