IVD & Molecular Diagnostics Glossary

Enzymatic (e.g. dUTP/UNG) and physical measures that stop amplified DNA from contaminating later runs. Labs with high daily volumes usually require dUTP/UNG chemistry in purchased assays; confirm this when comparing kits from different manufacturers.

A PCR format that partitions each sample into thousands of sub-reactions and calls each partition positive or negative, giving absolute quantification without a standard curve. Useful for low-level targets, copy-number work, and reference material characterization; throughput and per-test cost differ from qPCR.

Placeholder definition before migration.

A non-target amplification built into a reaction to prove the assay chemistry worked even when the sample is negative. It helps distinguish a true negative from inhibition or setup failure, which matters when interpreting single-target assays on difficult matrices.

Amplification of several targets in a single reaction using multiple primer pairs, each distinguishable by fluorescent channel or melting profile. Multiplexing raises information per sample but makes channel allocation, dye compatibility, and competition between targets key selection criteria.

A reaction that contains all reagents except sample nucleic acid. Amplification in the NTC signals contamination of reagents or the environment, so NTC behavior is one of the first run-validity checks in any qPCR run log.

A PCR method that measures amplification as it happens using fluorescent reporters, so target quantity is estimated from the amplification curve rather than by post-run handling. qPCR is the workhorse format for viral load, pathogen detection, and GMO or food testing workflows.

A two-step setup in which RNA is first copied into complementary DNA by a reverse transcriptase and then amplified by PCR. Used for RNA viruses such as influenza, RSV, SARS-CoV-2, and HCV. In procurement documents, confirm whether "RT-PCR" refers to real-time (quantitative) or endpoint (qualitative) reading.