This is the 13th European Meeting on Molecular Diagnostics (EMMD), devoted to all aspects of molecular diagnostics in human disease and pathology. The EMMD is organised every two years in the Netherlands. These meetings are a continuation of the former Benelux- and European meetings on PCR diagnostics. However the scope of the meeting has expanded to include other amplification techniques, general probe technology and applications in wide diversity of laboratory disciplines i.e. Clinical Microbiology, Virology, Pathology, Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Genetics, Pharmacogenetics, Hematology and Oncology.