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Why qPCR, dPCR, and NGS aren’t built for everyday rare event detection needs – how Countable PCR fixes that
Whether you're tracking early HIV mutations, pinpointing oncogenic HPV strains, or catching ultra-low-frequency cancer markers, your ability to intervene early depends on detecting what most PCR platforms can’t even see.
Most struggle once variant allele frequencies (VAFs) drop below 0.1%. That’s not a flaw in your assay development skills — it’s a technical limitation.
Here’s a look at how legacy PCR methods and NGS do in terms of sensitivity — and how Countable PCR is the only PCR that provides the level of sensitivity you need for early detection and other low-frequency events.
qPCR is not built for scalable sensitivity
qPCR might be your lab’s go-to, but large Ct values make rare events hard to find with statistical confidence. So, when trying to get to 1% VAF or lower, you’re juggling hundreds of reactions to get a meaningful result — burning sample, budget, and time.
Countable PCR spots 0.004% VAF in a single reaction
That’s 40 molecules in a million with statistical confidence. No Ct curves here, just direct single-molecule counting in a single PCR reaction.
dPCR has sensitivity but comes with painful assay optimization
Digital PCR pushes detection to 0.1% VAF, but not without a lot of work. Small input volumes force you into hyperwelling to boost sensitivity. Narrow dynamic range means your rare and common targets have to be evaluated separately, muddying the real biology. And subjective thresholds invite inconsistency into every result.
Countable PCR counts rare and frequent targets together
A 6-log dynamic range supports direct comparisons — no dilutions, no spending weeks on optimization. And with automatic real-time detection, there’s no thresholding guesswork — just exact counts that don’t change, no matter who analyzes the data.
NGS is sensitive, but not scalable
Deep-read NGS brings sensitivity, but its high cost and slow turnaround put it out of reach for routine clinical monitoring. Plus, you're left waiting for insights while bioinformatics experts analyze the results.
Countable PCR delivers NGS-like sensitivity without the overhead
Cut costs dramatically while still spotting 40 in 1 million molecules. Skip the multi-day wait for data analysis. When you need to move fast without breaking the bank, Countable PCR has your answers.
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