Digital PCR in wastewater testing

Digital PCR for analysis of wastewater samples

Digital PCR (dPCR) is a highly accurate molecular method for wastewater surveillance, enabling precise, absolute quantification of rare microbial material in wastewater and natural sewage. Digital PCR effectively detects bacteria, parasites, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A, Influenza B, Respiratory syncytialvirus (RSV) and Norovirus, without the need for standard curves. The method is suitable for predicting epidemiological outbreaks, establishing early warning systems and maintaining general health surveillance.

Why use nanoplate dPCR for wastewater surveillance

• High robustness for viral detection from complex samples – provides superior precision at low target concentrations, even in matrices containing PCR inhibitors
• High tolerance to PCR inhibitors – including humic acids (from the decomposition of plant material), urea (from urine), polysaccharides and bile salts (from feces), all of which interfere with primers, templates, inhibit or degrade enzymes and adversely affect amplification efficiency with a substantial impact on qPCR
• Multiplexing up to 12 targets possible – increases throughput and reduces costs, with applicability for environmental water sources such as wastewater, which can be contaminated with multiple pathogens
• No need for standard curves required by qPCR – simplifies workflows for high-throughput surveillance programs
• Selection from 900+ predesigned assays for microbial targets (bacterial, viral, virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance genes, etc.) including SARS-CoV-2 or the opportunity to design for your unique targets with a free custom assay design tool