The polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2010, is a Nobel-prize winning technology and is recognized as one of the most important scientific developments of our generation.
Similar to how the telescope provided a way to study the stars and how the microscope allowed us to see microorganisms, PCR is a tool that has revolutionized the study of molecular biology.
The unique ability of PCR to exponentially copy a single segment of DNA made possible the development of numerous experimental and in vitro molecular diagnostic techniques, which were previously time consuming or impossible to perform.
Using this technology, scientists can produce large enough quantities of DNA to be able to examine it in detail for a variety of different purposes in disciplines as varied as archeology, forensics, genetics, histopathology and medicine.
Roche Molecular Diagnostics and PCR
Roche Molecular Diagnostics (RMD) is widely recognized for advances such as thermostable enzymes and the engineering of hot-start thermostable DNA Polymerases that reduced manual interventions and improved specificity and sensitivity of PCR and real-time PCR testing.
Ultimately, the company evolved PCR from a highly manual technology to one that combines ease-of-use automation with advances that enable "sample in, results out" real-time testing. Most RMD tests come with the added security feature of proprietary Roche-only AmpErase® enzyme, which, with a closed-tube format, prevents cross-contamination that can lead to inaccurate test results.
RMD continues to lead innovations through development of real-time PCR, for which the company still holds many active patents. Now considered the state-of-the-art standard for molecular diagnostics, real-time PCR greatly improves the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of earlier-generation PCR tests.
Using a closed-tube format, real-time PCR, together with AmpErase® enzyme, prevents cross-contamination between samples being processed in tandem. With its wide dynamic range, a single real-time PCR assay can detect and accurately quantify as little as a few virus particles up to millions. This capability has enabled important clinical advancements, such as the highly accurate viral load testing critical to proper assessment of disease progression and response to therapy for HIV and hepatitis.