The Power of Digital PCR – Finding a Needle in a Haystack

Abstract

Digital PCR (dPCR) is a technique where the sample is partitioned into many individual reactions so that either zero, one or more target molecules are present in each reaction. This approach makes it surprisingly easy to detect a single positive against a strong background of negatives, a typical needle in a haystack problem. In such instances, the lower limit of detection excludes standard real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) as a viable method.