Infectious Disease and Pathogen Detection

Digital PCR for Infectious Diseases and Environmental Pathogens

For bacterial and viral pathogens, digital PCR affords higher sensitivity and accuracy for detecting low-level abundance nucleic acids, providing absolute quantification and high specificity.  While qPCR has traditionally been the preferred technique used for such applications in pathogen detection, digital PCR affords better accuracy in the presence of inhibitors, in addition to getting absolute quantification without a standard curve. 

Digital PCR can be used to for such applications as:

  • Viral load – quantifying HIV or HPV in latent reservoirs
  • SARS-CoV-2  detection -detecting variants at both the  population and the patient  levels
  • Food-borne pathogens – determining the presence and  quantification of microbial pathogens for food safety applications

From sample extraction to analysis for pathogen detection

The Nio+ system offers a fast, easy-to-use platform for quantification of genetic targets. In order to detect and quantify multiple genetic targets in a single run, the Nio+ system also offers the highest multiplexing available on the market today. When coupled with a sample preparation platform such as the Maxwell® RSC instruments from Promega, users are provided with a seamless end-to-end workflow – from sample preparation to analysis.

Simultaneous detection and quantification of HPV16 and HPV18 with respect to the reference human gene ALB.
Linearity and sensitivity of (A) HPV16 and (B) HPV18 targets.

Digital PCR for pathogen detection

Stilla provides digital PCR kits out-of-the-box, as well as custom assay design services in order to help researchers characterize and quantify genetic targets for applications detecting and quantifying low-level abundance bacterial and viral pathogens.

  1. Application Notes

    A 3-color Crystal Digital PCR kit for detection of Covid-19

  2. Application Notes

    3-color Crystal Digital PCR assays for HPV16 and HPV18 detection

  3. Application Notes

    RNA quantification with Crystal RT-dPCR

  4. Publications

    Absolute quantification of priority bacteria in aquaculture using digital PCR

  5. Webinar

    Identification of MRSA using 3-color digital PCR

  6. Publications

    Triplex digital PCR assays for the quantification of intact proviral HIV-1 DNA

  7. Publications

    Equine Parvovirus-Hepatitis Screening in Horses and Donkeys with Histopathologic Liver Abnormalities

  8. Publications

    Simpler and faster Covid-19 testing: Strategies to streamline SARS-CoV-2 molecular assays

  9. Publications

    Highly Sensitive Quantification of Plasma SARS-CoV-2 RNA Sheds Light on its Potential Clinical Value

  10. Publications

    Generation and characterization of two strains of transgene mice expressing chimeric MiniSOG-MusPrP

  11. Publications

    Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 Evolves In Vitro through an Assemblage of Haplotypes that Alternatively Become Dominant or Under-Represented

  12. Publications

    IP10, KC and M-CSF is remarkably increased in the brains from the various strains of experimental mice infected with different scrapie agents

education

Getting started with digital PCR

From custom assay design services to onsite training, Stilla has the knowledge and expertise to help researchers get started on their workflow. Stilla technologies has compiled several statistical tools to help get your started with your digital PCR assays, including:

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.


Learn more about what the Nio+ system and Crystal Digital PCR™ can do for your research