Objective

From a clinical point of view, digital biology can help spot small deviations from the norm, or pick out extremely rare events within an otherwise homogeneous sample. Typically, a sample is split into many thousands of smaller partitions, containing, on average, less than one molecule per partition. Using a nozzle generating droplets in the 10 micron size range, we demonstrate digital PCR at an effective sample concentration of < 1 copy/μL. Our system introduces a disposable, high-throughput system for digital biology applications, significantly decreasing the amount of sample required for diagnostic assays.