ArticleScientific reports2017
Droplet Digital PCR versus qPCR for gene expression analysis with low abundant targets: from variable nonsense to publication quality data.
Article in Scientific reports, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 326 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
326 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A Systematic Review of miRNA and cfDNA as Potential Biomarkers for Liquid Biopsy in Myocarditis and Inflammatory Dilated Cardiomyopathy.Biomolecules · 2022Pooled it
- A rapid detection of Nipah virus nucleocapsid antigen in inactivated viral cultures.Emerging microbes & infections · 2026Article
- The role of the respiratory microbiome in acute and chronic respiratory diseases.Nature reviews. Microbiology · 2026Review
- Overcoming Detection Lag in a Cryptic Panzootic: Chytrid Invasion Linked to Historically Enigmatic Amphibian Declines in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.Molecular ecology · 2026Article
- Surveying alternative transcripts of disease-associated genes and their cell type specificity - a case study with ANK3.Translational psychiatry · 2026Article
- Extracellular vesicles in breast cancer metastasis: functional insights and advances in single-EV analysis.Cancer metastasis reviews · 2026Review
- Revolutionizing MDD diagnosis: the integrated role of circRNAs and biosensor technology.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Review
- Genomic-guided precision oncology in canine cancer: from comparative genomics to liquid biopsy and molecular monitoring.Journal of veterinary science · 2026Review
- Cloning and characterization of intermediate Homer1E of human skeletal muscle.Journal of muscle research and cell motility · 2026Article
- Droplet digital PCR-based nucleic acid amplification test for improved molecular and clinical diagnosis of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome patients.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2026Article
- Tools and tactics for studying alternative splicing.Nature reviews. Genetics · 2026Review
- FishChip: Development of a High-Throughput qPCR Assay for Freshwater Fish eDNA Quantification and Its Comparison With Droplet Digital PCR.Molecular ecology resources · 2026Article
- A Dual-Channel Synergistic Ultrasensitive Biosensor for Tumor Liquid Biopsy.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- ddOTs: A multiplexed quantitative ddPCR approach for resolving overlapping hepatitis B virus transcripts to decipher cccDNA-driven transcription.PLoS pathogens · 2026Article
- The good, the bad, and the stable: Reference genes for preclinical biodistribution studies.Molecular therapy. Advances · 2026Article
- Safety assessment of autologous ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation in cancer patients: an updated review.Journal of ovarian research · 2026Review
- Revisiting Strategies for Bacterial Enumeration: The Case for Viable but Nonculturable (VBNC) Cells in Supplement Products.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Review
- Diagnostic performance of droplet digital PCR for KRAS mutation analysis in pancreatic cancer cytology specimens.Journal of gastroenterology · 2026Article
- A Divergent TaqMan RT-qPCR Strategy for Isoform-Resolved Detection of HIV-1 Circular RNAs.Methods and protocols · 2026Article
- High-gradient magnetic separation chip-based small extracellular vesicle isolation for noninvasive subtyping of primary aldosteronism.Science advances · 2026Article
266 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Quantitative PCR (qPCR) has become the gold standard technique to measure cDNA and gDNA levels but the resulting data can be highly variable, artifactual and non-reproducible without appropriate verification and validation of both samples and primers. The root cause of poor quality data is typically associated with inadequate dilution of residual protein and chemical contaminants that variably inhibit Taq polymerase and primer annealing. The most susceptible, frustrating and often most interesting samples are those containing low abundant targets with small expression differences of 2-fold or lower. Here, Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) and qPCR platforms were directly compared for gene expression analysis using low amounts of purified, synthetic DNA in well characterized samples under identical reaction conditions. We conclude that for sample/target combinations with low levels of nucleic acids (Cq ≥ 29) and/or variable amounts of chemical and protein contaminants, ddPCR technology will produce more precise, reproducible and statistically significant results required for publication quality data. A stepwise methodology is also described to choose between these complimentary technologies to obtain the best results for any experiment.
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