Join Us at ddPCR™ World 2026
Streaming Live from Tokyo, Japan
Connect with scientific leaders, customer speakers, and Bio-Rad experts as they explore how Droplet Digital™ PCR (ddPCR) is shaping the future of research, clinical workflows, biopharma quality control, and applied testing. Streaming live from Tokyo, Japan, this global event offers the latest scientific insights, emerging applications, and opportunities to engage with the worldwide ddPCR community—wherever you are.
Friday
09:00 AM - 05:00 PM (JST)
Why Attend?
- Learn from global ddPCR experts and experienced users
- Explore real-world applications for your research or testing
- Find new ways to innovate, validate, and translate with confidence
Event Highlights
- 15+ Sessions With Two Specialized Tracks
- Live Q&A With Scientific Experts
- Certificate of Attendance
Session Timings
| Australia | 10:00am GMT+10 (AEST) |
| New Zealand | 12:00pm GMT+12 (NZST) |
| Singapore/Malaysia/Philippines | 8:00am GMT+8 (SGT/MYT/PHT) |
| Thailand/Indonesia/Vietnam | 7:00am GMT+7 (ICT/WIB) |
| Korea | 9:00am GMT+9 (KST) |
| India/Sri Lanka | 5:30am GMT+5:30 (IST) |
| Bangladesh | 6:00am GMT+6 (BST) |
| Greater China/Taiwan | 8:00am GMT+8 (CST) |
| Hong Kong | 8:00am GMT+8 (HKT) |
Agenda
Learn how ddPCR technology helps researchers detect cancer signals with greater sensitivity and confidence. The morning sessions explore applications across mutation detection, liquid biopsy, and other emerging approaches shaping the future of precision oncology.
| Time (JST) | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 9:20 AM | Genetic Evaluation Supporting the Efficacy and Safety of Gene Therapy for Intractable Diseases | Dr. Toru Uchiyama National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD), JAPAN |
| 9:50 AM | To be announced | To be announced |
| 10:20 AM | Break | |
| 10:40 AM | Somatic Mutation Analysis in Precision Oncology: Applications of ddPCR | Associate Professor Bing Yu University of Sydney, AUSTRALIA |
| 11:10 AM | Precision Gene Editing in Human iPS Cells | Dr. Knut Woltjen Kyoto University, JAPAN |
| 11:40 AM | Targeted Haplotyping by Droplet Digital PCR Sequencing for Noninvasive Prenatal Testing of Thalassemia | Dr. Stephanie Yu The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG |
Speakers
Dr. Toru Uchiyama
National Center for Child Health and Development
JAPAN
Dr. Toru Uchiyama works on the development and clinical application of gene and cell therapies. His experience includes clinical studies and investigator-initiated trials of hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for primary immunodeficiency diseases such as chronic granulomatous disease and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. He has also been involved in CAR-T cell therapy for refractory leukemia, AAV-based in vivo gene therapy for neurological disorders, and genome editing-based gene therapy for primary immunodeficiency diseases.
Session: Genetic Evaluation Supporting the Efficacy and Safety of Gene Therapy for Intractable Diseases.
In this session, Dr. Uchiyama will discuss how genetic evaluation supports the efficacy and safety of gene therapy for inherited intractable diseases. The presentation will cover key approaches in gene therapy, including in vivo viral vector delivery, ex vivo gene modification of hematopoietic stem cell or blood cells, and emerging genome-editing strategies designed to correct disease-causing mutations.
Associate Professor Bing Yu
University of Sydney
AUSTRALIA
Associate Professor Bing Yu is a molecular geneticist and clinical scientist at NSW Health Pathology and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia. His work bridges translational research, genomic diagnostics, and precision medicine, with a focus on somatic cancer testing in solid tumours such as lung, breast, melanoma, and colorectal cancers. His research supports more precise treatment selection, drug resistance identification, minimal residual disease monitoring, and recurrence detection through the clinical use of genomic biomarkers.
Session: Somatic Mutation Analysis in Precision Oncology: Applications of ddPCR.
In this session, Associate Professor Yu will discuss how Droplet Digital PCR is being applied in precision oncology for sensitive and rapid somatic mutation analysis. The presentation will highlight the clinical utility of ddPCR in solid tumours, including variant confirmation, resistance mutation screening, and therapeutic response monitoring.
Dr. Knut Woltjen
Kyoto University
JAPAN
Dr. Knut Woltjen is based at Kyoto University’s Center for iPS Cell Research and Application. He holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics and specializes in stem cell gene editing. During his postdoctoral work, he used the piggyBac transposon to create the first footprint-free human and mouse iPS cells. His laboratory continues to advance piggyBac-based differentiation and precision editing, while also developing genome and epigenome editing methods to support cell therapy research and the study of human health, disease, and evolution.
Session: Precision Gene Editing in Human iPS Cells.
In this session, Associate Professor Woltjen will discuss precision gene editing in human induced pluripotent stem cells, which provide powerful in vitro models for studying disease mechanisms and therapeutic discovery. The presentation will explore how individual genetic backgrounds can improve disease modeling, while also creating challenges for gene editing design, validation, and interpretation.
Dr. Stephanie Yu
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
HONG KONG
Dr. Stephanie Yu is a clinical lecturer in the Department of Chemical Pathology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on liquid biopsy, particularly the biology and clinical applications of cell-free DNA. She has contributed to the development of size-based approaches for noninvasive prenatal testing, as well as diagnostic tools for single-gene disorders and preeclampsia. Her work has been published in leading journals, and she holds numerous patents in cfDNA technologies that have been successfully translated into licensed applications.
Session: Targeted Haplotyping by Droplet Digital PCR Sequencing for Noninvasive Prenatal Testing of Thalassemia
Targeted haplotyping of genetic variants is a cost-effective strategy with important applications in genetic diagnosis, noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), and pharmacogenomics. However, the lack of robust, scalable, and affordable haplotyping methods remains a major barrier to the broader clinical implementation of haplotype-based analyses, including relative haplotype dosage (RHDO)-based NIPT and pharmacogenetic testing.
To address this challenge, we developed digital PCR haplotype sequencing (dHapSeq), a novel approach that links multiple genetic variants using high-throughput droplet digital fusion PCR and resolves haplotypes by sequencing the fused products using short-read sequencing. In an initial proof-of-concept study, dHapSeq successfully resolved haplotypes in four families at risk of α-thalassemia and enabled NUDT15 diplotyping.
The approach has subsequently been validated in a large cohort of families at risk of α- and β-thalassemia carrying diverse disease-causing variants. These results demonstrate the feasibility and clinical utility of dHapSeq as a scalable targeted haplotyping platform that could facilitate broader adoption of haplotype-based testing in prenatal medicine, precision pharmacotherapy, and other areas of genomic medicine.
Agenda
Explore how ddPCR technology is pushing cancer research and molecular testing forward, enabling more sensitive detection, deeper biological insights, and new possibilities for precision oncology.
| Time (JST) | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 PM | Clinical Utility of ddPCR for Detecting POLE Mutations in Endometrial Cancer | Professor Jinhwa Hong Korea University Guro Hospital SOUTH KOREA |
| 2:00 PM | Droplet-Level Precision: Redefining Sensitivity in Oncology | Dr. Salil Vaniawala SN Genelab Pvt Ltd INDIA |
| 2:30 PM | Droplet Digital PCR for NPM1 Measurable Residual Disease Monitoring in AML | Dr. Goh Liuh Ling Tan Tock Seng Hospital SINGAPORE |
| 3:00 PM | Break | |
| 3:30 PM | To be announced | To be announced |
| 4:00 PM | Decoding Telomere Dynamics in Cellular Senescence: A Droplet Digital PCR Approach from Telomerase Activity to TERT Isoform Landscape | Professor Wanil Kim Gyeongsang National University SOUTH KOREA |
| 4:30 PM | Extracellular Vesicle DNA as a Next-Generation Liquid Biopsy: Clinical Applications Through Droplet Digital PCR | Dr. Akira Yokoi Nagoya University Hospital JAPAN |
Speakers
Professor Jinhwa Hong
Korea University Guro Hospital
SOUTH KOREA
Professor Jinhwa Hong, MD, PhD, is a professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of the Women's Cancer Center at Korea University Guro Hospital, South Korea. He received his MD and PhD from Korea University and completed advanced clinical and research training at MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of California, Irvine. His work focuses on gynecologic cancers, precision oncology, molecular diagnostics, and translational cancer research. He is an active member of several international gynecologic oncology societies and is recognized as a leading expert in the research and management of gynecologic malignancies.
Session: Clinical Utility of ddPCR for Detecting POLE Mutations in Endometrial Cancer.
This presentation will explore the clinical utility of Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) for detecting POLE mutations in endometrial cancer. Dr. Hong will discuss the advantages of ddPCR for highly sensitive mutation detection and its potential role in molecular classification, prognosis, and precision treatment strategies for patients with endometrial cancer.
Dr. Salil Vaniawala
SN Genelab Pvt Ltd
INDIA
Dr. Salil Vaniawala is a molecular oncology and genomic diagnostics expert in India with more than 23 years of experience in clinical and research genetics. He is the founder and owner of SN Genelab, Gujarat’s first NABL-accredited and ISO 15189-certified genetic laboratory, and one of India’s advanced genomic institutions. His work spans cancer genomics, liquid biopsy, tumor mutational profiling, and precision oncology. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to Indian population-specific genomic datasets, and helped expand access to precision medicine through more than one million genetic tests processed under SN Genelab’s leadership.
Session: Droplet-Level Precision: Redefining Sensitivity in Oncology.
In this session, Dr. Salil Vaniawala will discuss how droplet digital PCR is redefining sensitivity in oncology through precise and rapid detection of cancer biomarkers. The presentation will highlight how ddPCR technology enables absolute quantification of low variant allele frequency mutations across liquid biopsy, minimal residual disease monitoring, and precision oncology applications.
Dr. Goh Liuh Ling
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
SINGAPORE
Dr. Goh Liuh Ling is the Laboratory Director and Senior Principal Scientific Officer at the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Centre for Precision and Genomic Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She leads clinical molecular diagnostics, research, and biobanking, and plays an active role in advancing precision medicine in Singapore through national initiatives such as PRECISE. Her work focuses on genomic testing strategies, liquid biopsy applications, and multi-omics approaches for cancer, supported by expertise in next-generation sequencing and translational research.
Session: Droplet Digital PCR for NPM1 Measurable Residual Disease Monitoring in AML.
Measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment is integral to risk stratification and treatment monitoring in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with NPM1 mutations serving as a robust molecular marker for disease surveillance. This presentation evaluates the utility of Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) as a highly sensitive and precise platform for NPM1 MRD tracking. The local prevalence and molecular epidemiology of NPM1 mutation subtypes within a Singapore cohort will be outlined.
Next, analytical validation data of ddPCR assays specifically engineered for the common NPM1 variants (Types A, B, and D) will be presented. Ongoing developmental strategies to extend MRD monitoring capabilities to patients harboring rare NPM1 variants will also be highlighted. This seminar illustrates how synthesizing local epidemiological data, robust assay validation, and clinical implementation can establish a comprehensive, future-ready ddPCR MRD program to optimize AML patient management.
Professor Wanil Kim
Gyeongsang National University
SOUTH KOREA
Professor Wanil Kim is an Associate Professor at the College of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea. His research focuses on aging biology, telomere dynamics, cellular senescence, and molecular mechanisms of age-related diseases. He received his PhD in Molecular Life Sciences from POSTECH and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His current work uses ddPCR for quantitative molecular analysis, including telomerase activity, TERT isoform profiling, and biomarker discovery in aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
Session: Decoding Telomere Dynamics in Cellular Senescence: A Droplet Digital PCR Approach from Telomerase Activity to TERT Isoform Landscape
This presentation will highlight the application of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to investigate telomere biology in cellular senescence. Dr. Kim will present how ddPCR enables precise analysis of telomerase activity and TERT isoform expression, providing valuable insights into cellular aging and the development of age-related diseases.
Dr. Akira Yokoi
Nagoya University
JAPAN
Dr. Akira Yokoi is a gynecologic oncologist and translational scientist specializing in ovarian cancer biomarker discovery. His research focuses on extracellular vesicles for early cancer detection and the development of advanced EV-based diagnostic models. He has published influential studies in high-impact journals and continues to advance novel nanotechnologies for extracellular vesicle analysis. At Nagoya University, he leads translational research that combines clinical samples with advanced molecular and bioinformatics approaches.
Session: Extracellular Vesicle DNA as a Next-Generation Liquid Biopsy: Clinical Applications Through Droplet Digital PCR
In this session, Dr. Yokoi will discuss the role of extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, as promising sources for liquid biopsy. Because EVs circulate in body fluids and protect their molecular cargo from degradation, EV-derived DNA has gained increasing attention for its ability to reflect the genomic landscape of originating cells.
Agenda
See the breadth of ddPCR technology in action, from advancing gene therapy and biopharma quality control to supporting clinical and real-world testing. Learn how its sensitivity and precision are being applied across diverse workflows, from healthcare and prenatal testing to food safety and beyond.
| Time (JST) | Session | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 1:30 PM | To be announced | To be announced |
| 2:00 PM | Establishing ddPCR-based Minimal Molecular Quality Control Criteria for Therapeutic Extracellular Vesicles | Dr. Saranyoo Ponnikorn Thammasat University THAILAND |
| 2:30 PM | An Example of Platform and Product Development in CGT | Dr. Wang Wenshi Shanghai Fosun Kairos Biotechnology Co., Ltd., CHINA |
| 3:00 PM | Break | |
| 3:30 PM | SinChro; Novel Method to Count Chromosomal Numbers at Single Cell Level, Applied in Aging Research | Dr. Tomohiro Kubo TL Genomics Inc. JAPAN |
| 4:00 PM | To be announced | To be announced |
| 4:30 PM | Precision in a Drop: Enhancing Food Safety and Authenticity Using Droplet Digital PCR | Dr. Vishnuraj M.R ICAR – National Research Centre on Meat INDIA |
Speakers
Dr. Saranyoo Ponnikorn
Thammasat University
THAILAND
Dr. Saranyoo Ponnikorn is Director of the Center for Scientific Equipment for Advanced Research at Thammasat University and holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Mahidol University. He brings more than a decade of experience across genetics, molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and stem cell biology. He also contributes to national precision medicine committees under Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and is a co-founder of biotechnology ventures focused on extracellular vesicles, regenerative aesthetics, and functional health products. His research spans precision medicine, omics technologies, extracellular vesicle therapeutics, and translational regenerative medicine, with a focus on innovative approaches for disease management, skin therapeutics, and longevity applications.
Session: Establishing ddPCR-based Minimal Molecular Quality Control Criteria for Therapeutic Extracellular Vesicles
Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are emerging as promising therapeutic agents due to their natural role in cell-to-cell communication and ability to deliver functional biomolecules. Ensuring consistent quality during EV production is critical, requiring sensitive and reliable molecular quality control (QC) methods.
Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) enables precise and absolute quantification of nucleic acid cargo, making it a powerful tool for establishing minimal molecular QC criteria and ensuring batch-to-batch consistency. Please join us in this session to learn more about the QC process and how ddPCR can support robust quality control for therapeutic extracellular vesicles.
Dr. Wenshi Wang
Fosun Kairos (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd
CHINA
Dr. Wenshi Wang is Senior Vice President, Technology & Operations at FosunKairos. She brings extensive international and U.S. institutional experience in cell and gene therapy-driven biotech and biopharma drug development, with prior experience across organizations including HemaCare, Kite Pharma, Sangamo Therapeutics, and Metagenomi. In her current role, she supports the advancement of cell and gene therapy development and operational excellence at FosunKairos.
Session: An Example of Platform and Product Development in CGT.
Dr. Tomohiro Kubo
TL Genomics Inc.
JAPAN
Dr. Tomohiro Kubo has served as CEO of TL Genomics Inc. since 2015, overseeing technology development and business growth. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Biology from Kyoto University, followed by postdoctoral research at Columbia University in New York. Before joining TL Genomics, he spent five years in business development, licensing, technology transfer, and marketing at a Japanese biotech company, bringing together scientific expertise and commercial experience in biotechnology.
Session: SinChro: A Novel Method to Count Chromosomal Numbers at Single Cell Level, Applied in Aging Research
In this session, Dr. Tomohiro Kubo will introduce SinChro, a novel technology that applies droplet digital PCR to measure chromosome copy number at the single-cell level. The method uses fluorescent labeling within droplets to quantify the number of copies of a specific chromosome in individual cells.
Dr. Vishnuraj M.R
ICAR – National Research Centre on Meat
INDIA
Dr. M. R. Vishnuraj is a scientist at ICAR-National Meat Research Institute, Hyderabad, where he heads the Meat Species Identification Laboratory, an ISO 17025:2017 NABL-accredited facility and FSSAI referral laboratory. With over a decade of experience in molecular diagnostics and food authenticity, his work focuses on species authentication, adulteration detection, and molecular method development. He has developed highly sensitive ddPCR assays for trace-level detection and quantification in animal-origin foods, supporting food safety, regulatory compliance, and advanced molecular research.
Session: Precision in a Drop: Enhancing Food Safety and Authenticity Using Droplet Digital PCR
In this session, Dr. M. R. Vishnuraj will discuss how Droplet Digital PCR is being applied to strengthen food safety, authenticity testing, and regulatory compliance. The presentation will explore how ddPCR enables highly sensitive and precise detection of food adulteration, animal species identification, and microbiological hazards.
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