Lighting the Way For Research

The Digital LightCycler^® dPCR System is a powerful clinical research tool that integrates three clear needs: i) Sensitivity – quantifying more rare molecules (DNA or RNA) per run for each plasma sample. ii) Precision – achieving superior cluster tightness and data clarity that discriminates even small differences between samples. iii) Flexibility – expanding your menu of clinically viable assays across a greater variety of applications and sample types, including FFPET, blood, or plasma.

Advances in motion
 

Like some other systems, the Digital LightCycler^® dPCR System uses nanoreactions and Poisson calculations to provide absolute quantification of target molecules (RNA or DNA). But what really sets the Digital LightCycler^® dPCR System apart from the rest, making it a formidable clinical research ally, is the amalgamation of several key technical advancements and impressive features, including:

• Three different partitioning plate configurations with varying nanowell capacities – 20,000 partitions on the high sensitivity plate, 28,000 partitions on the universal plate, and 100,000 partitions on the high resolution plate
• Six separate optical channels and a separate control change, allowing for assay multiplexing
• Five-times concentrated master mixes, facilitating increased sample inclusion per reaction

The nanowell partitioning represents an easy-to-use dPCR setup, ensuring consistent sample partitioning. Meanwhile, the system’s high throughput capabilities enable the simultaneous analysis of up to 12 plates, each with eight lanes, allowing the analysis of up to 96 samples to vastly enhance research efficiency.

In fact, the system was born of a deep desire to provide clinicians and researchers with a dependable tool to detect and quantify specific – potentially rare – molecules and variants that may evade other technologies. The impact of such accurate detection is hard to measure, as it could prevent misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis that would directly affect the lives of patients.

A light in the dark?

Roche is a renowned market leader in qPCR, with robust reagents and powerful instruments, so the development of advanced dPCR technology is a natural step forward in the company’s overarching goal to deliver innovative tools that make a difference. But when members of the development team stood back to review their approach to dPCR technology, they recognized a new milestone in sensitivity, precision, and flexibility – a powerful tool that empowers researchers to uncover rare molecules, detect variants, and ensure accuracy in diagnostics.

By offering a solution that helps overcome clear clinical research roadblocks and enabling clinical researchers to venture beyond the boundaries, Roche and its Digital LightCycler^® dPCR System contribute to a deeper understanding of biomarkers, facilitating the discovery of novel therapies. Indeed, Roche’s commitment to understanding and then meeting current and future patient needs sits at the core of its latest innovation.

With the Digital LightCycler^®, Roche empowers researchers and clinicians to uncover answers that may otherwise lay hidden, ultimately paving the way for a brighter and healthier future.

Important Note: The Digital LightCycler^® is a Class II US IVD instrument.