PCR Festival

PCR Festival
April 26–30, 2021

In April, the QIAGEN PCR Festival 2021 opened its virtual doors and welcomed PCR enthusiasts and experts from all around the world to celebrate:

  • 35+ years of PCR
  • >500,000 publications mentioning the use of the technique and its derivatives
  • >25 Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine and Chemistry using the technology in their research breakthroughs
  • A ubiquitous technology that has shown its value time and again, even during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
  • Innovation in PCR with over 150 products now available to support your research applications

The festival is over, but you can still catch the replays and discover the best talks at your convenience.

GET YOUR REPLAY LINK
Did you know?
Polymerase chain reaction (abbreviated as PCR) is also a word in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

What did you miss?

Know the line-up

  • Franz Durandet
    President of I.A.G.E. in Montpellier, France

    Dr. Durandet and his team are working to develop digital PCR methods able to target the SARS-CoV-2 virus in saline wastewater in an effort to prevent community outbreaks.

    Franz Durandet
  • Jim Huggett
    Principal Scientist, National Measurement Laboratory

    Dr. Huggett uses digital PCR to overcome one of the biggest challenges in diagnostics: developing best practices and standardizing molecular measurements globally.

    Jim Huggett
  • Mikael Kubista
    TATAA Biocenter AB and Department of Biotechnology, CAS

    Dr. Kubista has been developing applications and providing services using digital PCR and quantitative PCR and has co-authored the MIQE guidelines.

    Mikael Kubista
  • Afif Abdel Nour

    Professional Customer Solution Manager for dPCR, QIAGEN, France and Italy

    Dr. Nour specializes in applied molecular biology techniques, mainly dPCR and the genomics workflow. Apart from acting as an IVD consultant for many international and national companies, he is currently working with QIAGEN as a Professional Customer Solution Manager for dPCR in France and Italy.

    Afif Abdel Nour
  • Dr. Wang Nguitragool
    Assistant Professor, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University

    Dr. Wang’s research aims to understand malaria parasite biology and is specifically interested in PCR-based epidemiological studies.

    Wang Nguitragool
  • Kristin Bell, Ph.D.
    Senior scientist at Northern Biomolecular Services

    Dr. Bell is involved in (RT)qPCR method development and validation for biodistribution, gene expression and vector shedding sample analysis.

    Kristin Bell
  • Verena Schramm, Ph.D.

    Associate Director, GeneGlobe, QIAGEN

    Dr. Schramm has held sales and project management roles in clinical NGS data analysis before joining QIAGEN. Before taking over the product responsibility for GeneGlobe, she managed the RNA sample preparation and liquid biopsy product portfolio and the NGS library preparation products.

    Verena Schramm
  • Ronny Kellner

    Senior Scientist, Digital PCR Assay Development, QIAGEN

    Dr. Kellner worked on several international projects focusing on microbiology, molecular biology, and NGS data analysis before joining QIAGEN. Since then, he has been involved in developing the digital PCR assay portfolio, including gene expression assays.

    Ronny Kellner
  • Dr. Ina Scheuerpflug

    Director, Strategic Marketing PCR and dPCR, QIAGEN

    Dr. Scheuerpflug has vast experience with gene expression, gene regulation and digital PCR solutions at QIAGEN. She also has a keen interest and solid knowledge of the emerging importance of CRISPR technology.

    Ina Scheuerpflug
  • Domenica Martorana

    Scientist, Gene Regulation Product Development, QIAGEN

    Before joining QIAGEN, Dr. Martorana gathered deep experience in gene editing in mammals and fungi, working on different international projects. Within the QIAGEN R&D, she is responsible for the CRISPR-related product developments. 

    Domenica Martorana
  • Dirk Schacht

    Associate Director, Global Product Management qPCR, QIAGEN

    Mr. Schacht has held various national and international sales and marketing positions in diagnostic companies before joining QIAGEN. As a Product Manager, he is responsible for the qPCR kits & assays portfolio.

    dirk schacht
  • Dr. Michael Bussmann

    Associate Director, Global Product Management Digital PCR Assays, QIAGEN

    Dr. Bussmann has held the product management position in the assay technologies portfolio, including applied testing before assuming responsibility for the PCR systems & assays and, most recently, digital PCR.

    Michael Bussman
  • ...and many more!
  • Franz Durandet
    Franz Durandet
  • Jim Huggett
    Jim Huggett
  • Mikael Kubista
    Mikael Kubista
  • Afif Abdel Nour
    Afif Abdel Nour
  • Wang Nguitragool
    Dr. Wang Nguitragool
  • Kristin Bell
    Kristin Bell, Ph.D.
  • Verena Schramm
    Verena Schramm, Ph.D.
  • Ronny Kellner
    Ronny Kellner
  • Ina Scheuerpflug
    Dr. Ina Scheuerpflug
  • Domenica Martorana
    Domenica Martorana
  • dirk schacht
    Dirk Schacht
  • Michael Bussman
    Dr. Michael Bussmann
  • ...and many more!

Agenda at a glance

We had five days of insightful keynotes, the best coaches and an incredible community coming together to discuss all things PCR.

Have you missed our live sessions? Don't worry! You can still catch the replays and discover the best talks at your convenience.

Day 1, April 26:

It’s all about PCR

  • Talk 1: Efficient planning of high-quality PCR experiments – Verena Schramm
  • Q&A Panel: Ensure PCR experiments for reproducibility –  Afif Abdel Nour, Mikael Kubista and Jim Huggett
Day 2, April 27: 

Succeed with PCR

  • Workshop: Tips & tricks in PCR – Pierre-Henri Ferdinand, Dirk Schacht and Marie Louise Lunn
  • Talk: Best practices in digital PCR – Mikael Kubista
Day 3, April 28:

Molecular biology & PCR

  • Talk 1: Optimize your CRISPR workflow from gene to result – Ina Scheuerpflug and Domenica Martorana
  • Q&A Panel: Validating NGS results – Marie Louise Lunn, Michael Bussmann and Ronny Kellner
  • Talk 2: (RT-)qPCR method development and validation for biodistribution and gene expression – Kristin Bell
Day 4, April 29:

Let's think digital in PCR

  • Talk 1: dPCR application in epidemiology and surveillance – Wang Nguitragool
  • Talk 2: The history of digital PCR and its agnostic power during a pandemic – Jim Huggett
  • Q&A Panel: Digital PCR without limits – Ronny Kellner, Jim Huggett and Afif Abdel Nour
Day 5, April 30:

COVID-19 pandemic and PCR

  • Talk 1: Advantage of absolute quantification of digital PCR in wastewater monitoring – Olivier Couillerot,
    Franz Durandet, Colin Donohoe and Dominic O‘Neil
  • Talk 2: Rapid SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR screening – Norbert Hochstein

Join the celebration on demand

*If your registration is successful, you will receive a confirmation email with your personal replay link to access the recorded sessions. Please also check your junk folder for confirmation.