Molecular methodologies offer numerous advantages to the clinical laboratory. These include:

Sensitivity: Amplification methodologies are particularly useful in increasing the sensitivity of a methodology and useful in the identification of target molecules of interest that are only present in low concentrations.

Specificity: Molecular methods minimize false positive test results by targeting the specific molecule of interest.

Turn Around Time: In comparison with standard traditional culture methods, molecular methodologies usually offer better turn around times from receipt to result reporting.

Application: broader application can be found with molecular methodologies such as infectious diseases, genetic testing, forensics, drug resistance, and tumor marker detection and monitoring.