PCRellabased

PCRellabased is a coined term describing methods that combine polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology with cell-based experimental systems to study gene expression, pathogen presence, or cellular responses within a biological context. It is not an established standard term, but appears in some reviews and discussions to emphasize a readout that is linked to a cellular setting. In typical PCRellabased workflows, cells are exposed to a stimulus or treatment, nucleic acids are extracted, and PCR-based assays such as RT-qPCR, digital PCR, or conventional PCR are used to quantify targets of interest. Some variants integrate high-throughput PCR platforms or real-time readouts to scale data collection across samples.

Applications include measuring gene expression changes in response to drugs or pathogens in culture, detecting infected cells by targeting pathogen nucleic acids, and enabling screening pipelines where PCR readouts serve as primary analytical endpoints. The concept also covers approaches that analyze nucleic acids after fixed or permeabilized cells, or that couple PCR with microfluidic or plate-based cell assays. Advantages of PCRellabased include sensitivity, use of established PCR workflows, and potential for multiplexed analyses. Limitations include dependence on careful sample preparation, risk of genomic DNA contamination, and the lack of standardized terminology or cross-laboratory validation. When used, authors should clearly specify the exact assays, controls, and preprocessing steps to ensure interpretability.