Digital PCR (dPCR) is a refinement of quantitative PCR that allows absolute quantification of nucleic acids without the need for standard curves. How does dPCR achieve this quantification?

• A By measuring fluorescence at the end of the reaction
• B By using a higher annealing temperature
• C By partitioning the sample into thousands of individual reactions ✓
• D By amplifying multiple targets simultaneously

Explanation

Digital PCR partitions a single sample into thousands of individual micro-reactions. After amplification, it counts the number of positive and negative droplets to calculate the absolute concentration of the target nucleic acid using Poisson statistics, eliminating the need for standard curves.

Reference: Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, 6th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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