Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) technology has revolutionized almost all areas of microbiology, including clinical microbiology, food microbiology, industrial microbiology, environmental microbiology, and microbial biotechnology. Various modifications and improvements have enhanced the overall performance of this highly versatile technology and the qPCR instrumentation and strategies currently available are more sensitive, faster, and more affordable than ever before. Written by experts in the field and aimed specifically at microbiologists, this book describes and explains the most important aspects of current qPCR strategies, instrumentation, and software. Renowned scholars cover the application of qPCR technology in various areas of applied microbiology and comment on future trends. Topics include: instrumentation * fluorescent chemistries * quantification strategies * data analysis software * environmental microbiology * water microbiology * food microbiology * gene expression studies * validation of microbial microarray data * future trends in qPCR technology. This outstanding book will be invaluable for all microbiologists and is recommended for all microbiology laboratories.