Hercules, CA — October 15, 2012 — One year after Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. introduced the QX100™ Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR™) system to the market, this technology has demonstrated superior performance over existing methods for key research applications and is emerging as a platform for validating next-generation sequencing discoveries. At the inaugural Digital PCR Conference in San Diego, CA, Oct. 15–16, 2012, scientists will highlight the diverse ways they use the ddPCR system to achieve their research goals.
Bio-Rad’s award-winning QX100 ddPCR system, first released in November, 2011, is capable of high precision, sensitivity, and accuracy in measurements of target nucleic acid concentrations in a wide variety of sample types including cell culture, blood, plasma, urine, fresh-frozen tissue, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. The QX100 ddPCR system has propelled research in work ranging from rare event detection to the determination of copy number variation.
George Karlin-Neumann, director of scientific affairs at Bio-Rad’s Digital Biology Center, will participate in a panel discussion with the goal of helping biologists evaluate how best to use the ddPCR system based on their desired level of precision and sensitivity.
“The ease of use and affordability of the QX100 system has allowed many researchers to access the benefits of unprecedented sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of digital PCR,” said Karlin-Neumann. “Now, as more researchers start using Droplet Digital PCR technology, we need to help them learn how to best use the technology to answer their research questions.”
The Platform of Choice
Karlin-Neumann will also give a talk on the diversity of applications that have been successfully implemented in the first year since the QX100 system was introduced. Applications include rare event detection, copy number variation, absolute quantitation, and single-cell gene expression, as well as emerging uses such as haplotyping and integration into next-generation sequencing workflows.
Although conventional qPCR and ddPCR systems can be used in tandem, the ddPCR system is superior to qPCR for certain applications such as copy number variation, rare event detection (RED), and the quantitation of transcripts with very low abundance (for example, plasma miRNAs), according to Karlin-Neumann. The ddPCR system may also be the platform of choice for validating discoveries in next-generation sequencing, for example for allele-specific expression and RNA editing.
Two researchers currently using the QX100 system will discuss how ddPCR technology has accelerated their research. Kerry Emslie, PhD, Bioanalysis Group manager at the National Measurement Institute in Australia, will present her work on validating ddPCR data using reference materials and verifying its accuracy using orthogonal methods. Jason Bielas, PhD, assistant member in the Molecular Diagnostics Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), will discuss using the ddPCR system to detect rare mutations in clinical applications of cancer and disease.
The Digital PCR Conference, hosted by the Cambridge Healthtech Institute, aims to evaluate novel digital PCR technologies for research, demonstrate innovative digital PCR techniques and applications, and present strategies for solving common research bottlenecks.
For more information on the QX100 Droplet Digital PCR system, please visit http://bit.ly/ddPCR_QX100.
About Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb) has been at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. The company is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, and major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, CA, and serves more than 100,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 7,100 people globally and had revenues exceeding $2 billion in 2011. For more information, visit www.bio-rad.com.
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Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
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