Real-Time PCR Research Applications & Technologies

Real-time PCR offers sensitivity, specificity, and wide dynamic range for detecting target nucleic acids, making it a useful and powerful technology for research applications that cover the spectrum of biology from basic research to translational medicine to applied biology.

Discover the full breadth of our qPCR solutions, which include powerful assay design algorithms, optimized master mixes, intuitive data analysis software, and flexible instrumentation to help you harness the power of qPCR across the following diverse set of applications.

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Gene expression is the most common application for real-time PCR (qPCR) due to its efficiency at detecting and quantifying target genes, even at very low expression levels.

• Explore >2.8 million predesigned TaqMan Assays covering more than 30 species ›
• Check out TaqMan Array formats for mid- to high-throughput gene expression studies ›

Learn more about using qPCR for gene expression › 

Genetic variation refers to the differences in the DNA sequence encoded within our genomes. Genotyping is the technology that detects genetic variations that can lead to major changes in phenotype, including both physical differences that make us unique and pathological changes underlying disease. It has a vast range of uses across basic scientific research, medicine research, and agriculture. Specific applications include:

• SNP genotyping
• Drug metabolism enzyme (DME) genotyping
• Copy number variation (CNV) analysis

Learn more about genetic variation applications of qPCR ›

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that direct post-transcriptional suppression of gene expression. Thermo Fisher Scientific tools enable wide-ranging miRNA research, from isolation through discovery, profiling, quantitation, verification, and functional analysis.

• MicroRNA profiling and quantitation using real-time PCR
• Long, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) expression analysis using real-time PCR

Learn more about microRNA & noncoding RNA analysis ›

Real-time PCR is a widely used technology for mutation detection that not only provides excellent sensitivity and specificity when paired with our gold standard TaqMan Assays, but also provides rapid results and is easy to perform when compared to other methods. Explore these solutions:

• castPCR technology for detecting somatic mutations for cancer research
• CFTR gene mutation analysis
• Biomarker analysis

Learn more about somatic mutation detection ›

TaqMan Assays enable best-in-class performance for applications requiring the utmost specificity and sensitivity. The combination of the most advanced assay design pipeline in the industry and the benefits of MGB probes delivers the specificity you need to detect minor variants across highly homologous targets, or to quantify small-fold changes. Regardless of your application, TaqMan Assays enable you to get reliable results from discovery to research screening to commercialization.

• Protein expression
• Microbe detection
• Fusion transcript detection
• Duplexing
• Brew your own solution (primers & probes)