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Genetics & Biotechnology vocabulary · PCR and Laboratory Methods

qPCR

Meaning in genetics & biotechnology, with examples

abbreviationCore term

In genetics & biotechnology, qPCR means: Quantitative PCR, also called real-time PCR: a type of PCR that measures the amount of DNA as it is copied, using a fluorescent signal, to show how much target was in the sample.

In Turkish: qPCR, gerçek zamanlı PCR, kantitatif PCR

How it is used

Used for gene expression, viral load and diagnostic tests. Results are given as Ct (or Cq) values: the lower the Ct, the more target there was. For RNA it is called RT-qPCR, because the RNA is first reverse-transcribed. Data are often analyzed with the ΔΔCt method against a reference gene.

Example sentences

  1. We used qPCR to compare expression in tumor and normal tissue.

  2. All qPCR reactions were run in triplicate, with GAPDH as the reference gene.

Common collocations

  • run a qPCR
  • qPCR assay
  • Ct value
  • RT-qPCR
  • qPCR primers
  • PCRPolymerase chain reaction: a lab method that makes millions of copies of a chosen DNA region by repeating cycles of heating and cooling with primers and a DNA polymerase.
  • primerA short, single-stranded piece of DNA, usually 18 to 25 bases long, that binds to a matching sequence and gives DNA polymerase a starting point for copying.
  • gene expressionThe process by which the information in a gene is used to make a product, usually a protein, and the level at which this happens in a cell.
  • negative controlA sample or reaction in an experiment that is expected to give no result, used to show that a positive signal is not caused by contamination or error.
  • mRNAMessenger RNA: the RNA copy of a gene that carries its instructions from the DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes, where the protein is made.

More terms: PCR and Laboratory Methods

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