RTPCR stands for Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction.
The RT part which refers to "reverse transcription" of RNA to DNA is used to quantify viral RNA in research and clinical settings.
The PCR technique is all about "amplifying" a DNA sample (using an enzyme called DNA polymerase) so as to create a large enough quantity to study it in detail. It was invented in 1983 by an American biochemist called Kary Mullis, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.
"Amplifying" DNA samples is also of use in forensics and study of ancient DNA (aDNA) samples.
