Setting Up Copy Number Variation Assays Droplet Digital PCR Setting Up Copy Number Variation Assays Ben Bunce
Outline Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) overview Applications Implementation of a new workflow Requirements Challenges Solutions Case studies X-LAG tNGS confirmations Summary
ddPCR Principle Standard PCR qPCR ddPCR Quantitation of an end product in a bulk reaction qPCR Quantitation of product in real time in a bulk reaction ddPCR Bulk reaction separated into smaller partitions. Each partition intended to contain zero or one copy of DNA. The fraction of positive partitions is fitted to a Poisson distribution to determine the absolute starting copy number of DNA.
ddPCR Principle: Process Bio-Rad QX200 System
Bio-Rad Quantasoft 1D Amplification Channel One Channel Two
Bio-Rad Quantasoft Concentration Channel 1 concentration
Bio-Rad Quantasoft Events Total droplets Channel 1 droplets
ddPCR Applications Detection of Single Nucleotide Variants (SNV) Utilise TaqMan-type hydrolysis probes Greater statistical power for low level detection (ctDNA, cfDNA, transcript abundance) Absolute quantitation possible without standard curves Detection of gene dosage/CNV Utilise either dye-binding (external reference) or hydrolysis probes (internal reference) comparison of positive partitions for target and reference allow gene dosage calculations absolute quantitation possible without standard curves Phasing of variants
Integration: Requirements Exporting Quantasoft Setup File Bio-Rad QX200 System Quantasoft Analysis Package Import patient results
Challenges Quantasoft Setup File Patient demographics Primers/Probes Reagents Experiment type Results Import File Patient demographics Quality control data Assay results Software derived Externally calculated Interpretation of numerical results Manual entry Modify an existing LIMS export function Commission LIMs provider to create new feature Quantasoft output – “example” Contains redundant information Hydrolysis probe assay results are calculate within the software (internal reference) i.e. Duplex probes. EvaGreen assays use an external and can’t be calculated within the software. Requires outside calculating. All data is numerical – requires interpretation Quality data, pass and fail samples - OK for a few samples, but for the possibility of larger batches in the future it is more prudent to automate this process too. Consistency between users. Manual entry Modify existing LIMS export function Commission LIMS to create new feature
Challenge: Importing results 63 columns of data
Solution: Importing results 15 columns of data
Minor Challenges Technical challenges DNA quantification Increased automation Transitioning from each step of implementation Informatics challenges Networking
High throughput ddPCR copy number assay services Solution: Importing results Modified Quantasoft output Quantasoft Analysis Package Quantasoft Setup File High throughput ddPCR copy number assay services Bio-Rad QX200 System
Case Study 1: X-Linked Acrogiganitsm
Case Study 1: X-Linked Acrogiganitsm Positive female Positive male Normal female Normal males
Case Study 2: tNGS confimations CDC73 exon 8 duplication CDC73 exon 8 primer Reference primer
Summary QX200 system - a replacement for current qPCR and dosage techniques? Increased sensitivity and statistical robustness Workflow implementation Underestimating IT project time frames Utilising staff with additional skills (e.g. advanced knowledge of Excel) Communicating concepts clearly between clinical, technical and bioinformatic staff Any questions?