Molecular diagnostics

Abstract

Molecular diagnostics deals, among other things, with the detection of different pathogens such as bacteria and viruses and the detection of disease-relevant mutations of the human genome. Most techniques in molecular diagnostics are based on the identification of proteins or nucleic acids. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) can be amplified and detected with diverse methods such as PCR, real-time PCR and DNA microarrays. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.