Multiplex PCR simultaneously detects several different DNA targets in a given sample and has, therefore, gained considerable interest for use in examining a genetic target whose number rapidly increases in a single phenotype. Conventional real-time PCR lacks sufficient multiplex capacity, as the limited number of color channels restricts the number of simultaneously detectable targets to six. On the contrary, DNA-based hydrogel microparticles immobilized with primers provide outstanding multiplex capacity, as they can encode for various patterns with a level of coding capacity high enough to identify ≥ 10⁵ targets. Moreover, hydrogel microparticles comprising polyethylene glycol can be made extremely porous, as it is easy to control their porosity and hydrophilic properties. Their high compatibility for aqueous biochemical reactions also ensures an environment and efficiency similar to amplification reactions occurring in aqueous media. The applicability of DNA-based encoded hydrogel microparticles with fixed primers has been widely proven through various hydrogel particle-based bioassays. This review focuses on the advancements in diverse approaches for an efficient multiplex PCR based on such microparticles. Herein, multiple strategies for constructing and encoding a “hydrogel” are described. Moreover, various methods for an efficient hydrogel PCR and the latest developments regarding multiple forms of bioassays that utilize hydrogel PCR are illustrated using selected examples. Lastly, this review provides insights into the prospects for encoded hydrogel microparticles and the challenges for their application.

多重PCR同时检测给定样品中的几个不同的DNA靶标，因此，在检查单个表型数量迅速增加的遗传靶标方面引起了极大的兴趣。传统的实时PCR缺乏足够的多路复用能力，因为有限数量的颜色通道将同时可检测目标的数量限制为六个。相反，固定有引物的基于DNA的水凝胶微粒具有出色的多重能力，因为它们可以编码各种模式，且其编码能力足以识别≥10 ⁵目标。此外，包含聚乙二醇的水凝胶微粒可以制成非常多孔的，因为它易于控制其孔隙率和亲水性。它们与水性生化反应的高度相容性还确保了类似于水性介质中发生的扩增反应的环境和效率。通过各种基于水凝胶颗粒的生物测定法已广泛证明了具有固定引物的基于DNA的编码水凝胶微粒的适用性。这篇综述集中在基于这种微粒的高效多重PCR的各种方法的进展上。本文中，描述了用于构建和编码“水凝胶”的多种策略。此外，使用选定的例子说明了有效水凝胶PCR的各种方法以及有关利用水凝胶PCR的多种形式的生物测定的最新进展。最后，这篇综述提供了对编码水凝胶微粒的前景及其应用挑战的见解。