The Real-time PCR Data Markup Language (RDML) is a structured and universal data standard for exchanging quantitative PCR (qPCR) data. The data standard should contain sufficient information to understand the experimental setup, re-analyse the data and interpret the results.
The data standard is a compressed text file in Extensible Markup Language (XML) and enables transparent exchange of annotated qPCR data between instrument software and third-party data analysis packages, between colleagues and collaborators, and between authors, peer reviewers, journals and readers.

To support the usage of this data standard, both an on-line RDML file generator and file validator are available, as well as a reference implementation and file editor software (called RDML-Ninja). Further, we are delighted to see acceptance of the data standard by several qPCR instrument providers, as well as 3rd party software implementations.