Digital PCR
Commercial house: BioRad
Unit: 1
Location: Room 312
Digital PCR is a breakthrough technology that provides ultrasensitive and absolute nucleic acid quantification. It is particularly useful for low-abundance targets, targets in complex backgrounds, allelic variants (SNPs), and for monitoring subtle changes in target levels that cannot be detected with real-time PCR.
Based on water-emulsion droplet technology, Droplet Digital PCR fractionates a DNA sample in 20,000 droplets. PCR amplification of the template subsequently occurs in each individual droplet, and counting the positive droplets gives precise, absolute target quantification.
Applications of digital PCR:
- Copy number variation (CNV): Accurate CNV quantification in single wells.
- Next generation sequencing (NGS): Amplification and accurate quantification of NGS libraries with validation of sequencing results.
- Detection of rare sequences in cancer and disease.
- Detection of mutations and viral load below levels detectable by current tests.
- Gene expression analysis, including quantification of different transcripts from the same gene, without using a standard.
- Detection of rare mRNAs and miRNAs with rapid turnover.
- Pathogen detection and microbiome analysis.
- Viral load and pathogen detection in organ transplants, soil, and food without using a standard.
- Single cell analysis: High sensitivity make it a robust tool for single-cell analyses