Under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Sarmed H. Kathem Alkhateeb, the Continuing Education Unit at the University of Baghdad/College of Pharmacy held an in-person workshop entitled “Quantitative Real-Time PCR”, delivered by Lecturer Dr. Aminah Ali Abid, a faculty member at the Clinical Laboratory Sciences Department.
The workshop aimed to clarify the applications of quantitative real-time PCR in evolutionary and developmental studies, diagnosing infectious, genetic, and cancerous diseases, as well as in forensic applications.
The workshop included several topics, including a review of the scientific principle of quantitative real-time PCR, an explanation of its mechanism of action in amplifying specific DNA for downstream applications like cloning and expression of recombinant proteins, and a detailed explanation of the practical steps for conducting the test, including the basic chemical components involved in the reaction and their respective roles, as well as how to control the reaction conditions and analyze the results. Furthermore, the technical advantages of this assay were highlighted, particularly its ability to monitor the amplification of the target gene in real time, rather than relying on the endpoint typically achieved with conventional PCR. Also, practical examples demonstrating the importance of this technique in various diagnostic and research fields were presented.
The workshop concluded by emphasizing the importance of quantitative real-time PCR as a fundamental tool in biomedical research and its role in identifying the pathological pathway underlying the development of cancer and genetic diseases.
