Real-time nucleic acid quantification

It is difficult to overstate the vital role of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its derivatives in the clinical microbiology laboratory. The ease of adapting PCR, combined with the availability of complete genomic sequences from various pathogens, has permitted the rapid development of commercial as well as laboratory-developed molecular techniques for diagnostic purposes. As its name implies, real-time PCR, a common PCR variant, has furthered clinical utility by permitting the detection and quantification of PCR products during the amplification process. In this chapter, we discuss the principles behind real-time PCR and its use in quantification of pathogens.