New Developments in Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology

Real time-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) technology has revolutionized the detection landscape in every area of molecular biology. The fundamental basis of this technology has remained unchanged since its inception, however various modifications have enhanced the overall performance of this highly versatile technology. These improvements have ranged from changes in the individual components of the enzymatic reaction cocktail (polymerizing enzymes, reaction buffers, probes, etc.) to the detection system itself (instrumentation, software, etc.). The RT-qPCR technology currently available to researchers is more sensitive, faster and affordable than when this technology was first introduced. In this article, we summarize the developments of the last few years in RT-qPCR technology and nucleic acid amplification.