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PUBLICATIONS

Evaluating droplet digital PCR for the quantification of human genomic DNA: converting copies per nanoliter to nanograms nuclear DNA per microliter

Published

Author(s)

David L. Duewer, Margaret C. Kline, Erica L. Romsos, Blaza Toman

Abstract

The highly multiplexed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays used for forensic human identification perform best when used with an accurately determined quantity of input DNA. To help ensure the reliable performance of these assays, we are developing a certified reference material (CRM) for calibrating human genomic DNA working standards. To enable sharing information over time and place, CRMs must provide accurate and stable values that are metrologically traceable to a common reference. We have shown that droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) limiting dilution end point measurements of the concentration of DNA targets per volume of sample can be traceably linked to the International System of Units (SI). Unlike values assigned using conventional relationships between ultraviolet absorbance and DNA mass concentration, entity based ddPCR measurements are expected to be stable over time. However, the forensic community expects DNA quantity to be stated in terms of mass concentration rather than entity concentration. The transformation can be accomplished given in SI traceable values and uncertainties for the number of nucleotide bases per haploid human genome and the average molar mass of a nucleotide monomer in the DNA polymer. This report presents the considerations required to establish the metrological traceability of ddPCR based mass concentration estimates of human nuclear DNA.
Citation
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
Pub Type
Journals

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DOI Link

Keywords

Certified Reference Material (CRM), Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), Human nuclear DNA, Metrological traceability
Genomics, Analytical chemistry and Amount of substance

Citation

Duewer, D. , Kline, M. , Romsos, E. and Toman, B. (2018), Evaluating droplet digital PCR for the quantification of human genomic DNA: converting copies per nanoliter to nanograms nuclear DNA per microliter, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, [online], https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-018-0982-1 (Accessed October 10, 2025)

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Created February 22, 2018, Updated January 27, 2020
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