Expert view: Bio-Rad’s comprehensive genomics portfolio provides answers for every problem

qPCR has been a cornerstone of scientific research for decades due to its sensitivity and broad dynamic range combined with relative ease of use, affordability and throughput. Bio-Rad offers instruments and reagents that make qPCR more reliable and user friendly. The life science innovator provides a comprehensive qPCR solution by offering pre-designed and wet-lab validated primer and probe assays to address a variety of applications and organisms, including long noncoding RNA (lncRNA).

More recently, scientists have embraced Bio-Rad’s latest technology: ddPCR. Over 3,800 publications have featured ddPCR for applications that require its high sensitivity, absolute quantitation and greater reproducibility. ddPCR can be up to 100- to 1,000-fold more sensitive than qPCR, enabling rare target DNA to stand out amidst wildtype background. Bio-Rad is the only complete solution provider for ddPCR, providing both platforms and reagents.

qPCR and ddPCR technologies can play complementary roles across many different applications, both old and new, such as pathogen detection and quality control of adoptive cell therapies. As an example, both tools can be used to analyse gene edits, whether via CRISPR-Cas, ZFN or TALEN technologies. When editing frequency is less than one percent, ddPCR is recommended. By contrast, scientists can use qPCR to test multiple cell lines in parallel when editing frequencies are over one percent. For adoptive cell therapies, the industry is using both technologies to ensure high quality and meet regulatory requirements.

In other cases, one technology may uniquely fit the application. For patients with cancer, physicians can use ddPCR to monitor treatment effectiveness by quantifying extremely low levels of circulating tumour DNA. For detecting pathogens such as Zika virus, however, qPCR is more suitable because it is better equipped to deal with the broader range of targets and more capable of screening larger numbers of samples.

Regardless of the application, Bio-Rad’s 30 years of expertise and innovation in genomics will enable researchers to achieve the next wave of scientific breakthroughs.