Real-time PCR System

Real-time PCR (qPCR), also called quantitative PCR or quantitative real-time PCR, is a PCR-based technique that couples amplification of a target DNA sequence with quantification of the concentration of that DNA species in the reaction. The principle of real-time PCR states that the amplification and quantification of the target nucleic acid occurs in a single reaction. Either fluorescent dye or a labeled probe is used to monitor the reaction. The more the DNA is amplified, the more fluorescence is released and detected using the fluorescence detector present in the machine. Real-time PCR/qPCR assays have become the tool of choice for the rapid and sensitive determination and quantitation of nucleic acid in various biological samples, with diverse applications such as gene expression analysis, the detection of genetically modified organisms in food, and cancer phenotyping.