What is a PCRD file? A PCRD file is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis created by a Bio-Rad real-time PCR machine. It contains data recorded during the PCR process, which can be visualized in graph, chart, and tabular formats. Depending on what version of Bio-Rad software created a PCRD file, it may be saved in the XML format or as an encrypted archive.

More Information Biologists, forensic scientists, medical professionals, and others use PCR machines to produce many copies of a specific DNA sequence and analyze that sequence. Bio-Rad sells real-time PCR (also known as qPCR) machines that use CFX Maestro software to gather and analyze data created during the PCR process. Real-time PCR machines that use CFX Maestro software save PCR analyses as PCRD files. Users with access to CFX Maestro or CFX Manager can open PCRD files to view the data and analyses they contain. While some PCRD files were previously saved as XML files, PCRD files are now saved as encrypted archives, which can be opened only with Bio-Rad software.