The invention of PCR and real-time PCR has lead to many major scientific advances. Though both methods are still regularly used in laboratories, real-time PCR is gaining popularity and quickly becoming the most cost- and time-effective method for analyzing DNA products.
The use of real-time PCR expands to many areas of the clinical laboratory including genetics, virology, and microbiology. The uses mentioned throughout this course are only a small sampling of the many different applications in which this technology is used. With more real-time PCR platforms and practices being created, the growth and potential of this technology is just beginning. However, the concept and process will stay the same and it is important for laboratory professionals to understand and learn about this technology.
