When PCR gets dirty - tackling PCR inhibitors
PCR inhibitors are a hidden but pervasive challenge across environmental testing, wastewater surveillance, and gene therapy workflows. In this first Science Snapshot episode, the Absolute Gene-ius team revisits insights from multiple experts to explain how digital PCR helps overcome inhibition and deliver more reliable quantification.
Absolute Gene-ius · Min Jin Kim, Ray Ketchum, Patrick Hanington, Dave Bauer, Sarah Philo, Kimberly Gomez, Lisa Crawford, Jordan Ruggieri
Show Notes
PCR inhibitors are everywhere and they can definitely mess with your data. From muddy lake water to complex viral vector preparations, inhibition is a reality that can’t be ignored.
In this inaugural Absolute Gene-ius: Science Snapshot, hosts Jordan Ruggieri and Lisa Crawford revisit standout moments from past seasons to explore how scientists across disciplines deal with PCR inhibition. Through clips from experts working in wastewater surveillance, environmental microbiology, and gene therapy manufacturing, the episode highlights why inhibitors distort qPCR results and how sample preparation alone doesn’t always solve the problem. Guests including Ray Ketchum, Sarah Philo, Patrick Hanington, Dave Bauer, Kimberly Gomez, and Min Jin Kim explain both the biological sources of inhibition and the technical reasons digital PCR is more resilient. Together, these perspectives paint a clear picture of why dPCR is becoming the method of choice when overcoming inhibitors is required.
Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, the hosts, and the science we explore. Discover the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems powering real-world research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.