Digital polymerase chain reaction (or DPCR) technology provides a means of quantifying nucleic acid through the clonal amplification of a nucleic acid molecule with the enzyme DNA polymerase. While the conventional method relies on the theoretically exponential nature of amplification, DPCR creates multiple testing regions within the same sample. It therefore supplies results which can be interpreted more infallibly, simply by counting the regions where a positive reaction may be observed. To discover more about Digital PCR technology, go to Stilla Technologies website.
What are the advantages of Digital PCR?
Because Digital PCR does not depend on any preset standards or references, absolute quantification, detection tests, liquid biopsies and other measurements may be carried out reliably and using a much smaller sample size. DPCR measures target DNA (or the actual number of molecules) after amplification and provides directly exploitable results.
Thanks to these specificities, Digital PCR lends itself to a wide array of applications in a variety of fields.
DPCR Applications
Many areas of clinical and medical research may benefit from the advances of DPCR technology, which also applies to environmental testing and the food industry. Its non-invasive nature and the fact that it does not require a standard curve to allow for absolute quantification make it practical in several circumstances.
Infectious Diseases
As a sensitive and accurate assay method, Digital PCR may be used to detect low-abundance nucleic acid, making it suitable for clinical diagnosis. It can therefore be employed to discern pathogens capable of causing communicable diseases such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites. For instance, the only means of combating such viral infections as HIV is through early detection, which is greatly improved by DPCR. However, the technique is also valuable to monitor the progression of the disease and the direct effects of antiviral treatments.
Oncology
DPCR is a major asset for monitoring the evolution of cancerous cells without resorting to invasive methods. Liquid biopsies also serve to validate the efficiency of cancer treatments and to ensure immediate action is taken in case of relapse. Absolute quantification provides reliable results at every stage, from detection to recovery.
Prenatal Screening
Thanks to Digital PCR, fetal genotyping is no longer associated with potential miscarriage, since it provides a means of detecting aneuploidy, mutations, microdeletions and other issues without the need for invasive methods. Serious genetic abnormalities are detected early and safely.
Food Industry
Multiple health concerns affect food industries, and those who wish to ensure optimal levels of transparency must carry out reliable tests to detect potential contaminants. They also need to inform end-consumers and other actors of the supply chain as to the presence and exact quantities of specific sequences, such as genetically modified organisms in foodstuffs and fecal contamination in drinking water.
Environmental Testing
Assessing health risks human populations and ecosystems are exposed to from farming or industrial practices by quantifying pathogens is essential, and Digital PCR provides a dependable solution for these highly sensitive assessments.
Stilla Technologies products make a wide range of assays possible for very diverse applications in many areas where rare event detection, gene expression, absolute quantification or genome amplification are particularly relevant.
