RT-PCR
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Biology
| Stands for | Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
RT-PCR stands for Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, a biology abbreviation.
Technique that first converts RNA into complementary DNA with the enzyme reverse transcriptase, then amplifies it by PCR. It detects RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and influenza and measures gene expression from messenger RNA.
Example: The traveler needed a negative RT-PCR result taken within 72 hours of departure.
Usage notes
RT-PCR is easily confused with real-time PCR, which some also abbreviate RT-PCR; to avoid ambiguity, the combination of both is written RT-qPCR. Most COVID-19 "PCR tests" were in fact RT-qPCR tests. Reverse transcriptase was discovered independently by Howard Temin and David Baltimore in 1970.
Related abbreviations
More biology abbreviations
- PDB – Protein Data Bank
- PFU – Plaque-forming unit
- qPCR – Quantitative polymerase chain reaction
- RNA – Ribonucleic acid
- ROS – Reactive oxygen species
- rRNA – Ribosomal RNA
- RuBisCO – Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase
- SDS-PAGE – Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- sp. – Species
- spp. – Species (plural)
- subsp. – Subspecies
- Taq – Thermus aquaticus (DNA polymerase)