Precise and Accurate Measurement of Target Copy Number

Fluidigm Europe has announced a new technical report that describes experimentation on a normal human genomic DNA sample using a prototype 200k Digital Array Chip on a modified BioMark™ System.

Fluidigm’s commercial Digital Array chips provide a flexible and robust platform to perform digital PCR and have been used in sample quantitation, rare mutation detection, haplotyping, and copy number variation studies. The new 200k chip prototype is more powerful and enables an even more precise and accurate measurement of target copy number.

Two forms of commercial Digital Array chips are currently available, which have configurations known as 12.765 and 48.770 (with 9,180 and 36,960 reaction chambers each). In this new report the authors show a prototype 200,000 chamber version of the Fluidigm Digital Array chip and demonstrate that the experimental process is further simplified and the copy numbers of two single copy genes (RnaseP and RPP30) can be measured at a much greater accuracy.

The BioMark HD system is the latest and most advanced real-time PCR system developed by Fluidigm. The system provides you with the ability to use a wide variety of sample types, multiple chemistry choices, and an industry leading degree of flexibility. The system offers unparalleled throughput for real-time PCR and digital PCR, integrating thermal cycling and fluorescence detection on Integrated Fluidic Circuits (IFCs). The BioMark system used for the 200k chip experiments was modified by the addition of a higher resolution CCD camera.