Noble Life Sciences now offers Digital PCR services and expands Molecular Biology Facility’s capability for cell and gene therapy applications. Our digital PCR services utilizes the Qiagen QIAcuity four-plate digital PCR (dPCR) instrument that detects up to 5 fluorescent dyes. The fully integrated system provides results in just 2 hours and offers a throughput of up to 672 samples (or 224 samples for triplicate measurements) per day. The QIAcuity provides a significantly higher throughput than other leading dPCR and ddPCR systems.

Digital PCR essentially divides a sample into thousands or more of nano-partitioned PCR reactions, allowing for absolute end-point quantification instead of relying on a standard curve.  Digital PCR applications include detecting mutations or pathogens, measuring gene expression, copy number variation (CNV) analysis, genotyping, and miRNA research, among others. For cell and gene therapy applications, dPCR can provide precise detection and quantification of viral titers, custom genes of interest, and residual host cell DNA in the process of manufacturing biologics and vaccines. Digital PCR is a powerful tool for rare mutation detection, which will advance research into cell and gene therapies to treat rare diseases. For the preclinical development of cell- and gene-based therapeutics, dPCR provides higher precision, accuracy, and sensitivity than traditional qPCR in quantitative analysis of in vivo biodistribution of cellular or viral therapeutics and viral shedding in animal model systems. With the QIAcuity dPCR system, Noble is equipped to handle a large volume of samples with high specificity, sensitivity, precision, and accuracy for various biomedical and biopharmaceutical applications.