Advancing Molecular Science Through Reproducible qPCR: MIQE Guidelines and Beyond
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 1960
Special Issue Editor
Interests: qPCR; RT-qPCR; colorectal cancer; molecular staging; clostridium difficile; MRSA; aspergillus
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) remains one of the most powerful and widely used tools in molecular science, impacting an extraordinary range of fields, including basic and translational research, clinical diagnostics, forensics, agriculture, environmental science, biotechnology, and ancestry testing. Its reach is matched by its adaptability—but also by a persistent vulnerability to methodological inconsistency and a lack of transparency, which continue to undermine confidence in published results.
The Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines were first introduced in 2009 in response to the widespread misuse of qPCR and, in part, to high-profile methodological failures such as the RT-qPCR-based claims surrounding the MMR vaccine and autism. MIQE established essential principles for assay design, validation, and reporting, promoting transparency, reproducibility, and interpretability. In light of technological advances and expanding diagnostic applications, these guidelines have now been comprehensively revised as MIQE 2.0, recently published in Clinical Chemistry. The updated framework reflects current capabilities while reaffirming that methodological rigour remains a prerequisite for credible molecular data.
This Special Issue of IJMS invites original research, reviews, technical reports, and commentaries that critically examine the role of MIQE in improving qPCR-based workflows and ensuring the robustness of derived conclusions. Submissions may address the following:
- How MIQE has improved reproducibility, accuracy, and inter-laboratory consistency;
- Empirical or theoretical insights into amplification efficiency, error propagation, reference gene normalisation, and assay validation;
- The influence of MIQE across related technologies (including digital PCR) and in specialised applications such as single-cell analysis, low-input workflows, or environmental testing;
- Constructive critiques of MIQE’s implementation, limitations, or scope, including reflections on barriers to adoption.
Prof. Dr. Stephen Bustin
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- MIQE
- qPCR
- reverse transcription
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