Absolute Gene-ius

Newer does not always mean better for the question at hand.
In this Science Snapshot episode, Lisa Crawford and Jordan Ruggieri put qPCR back in the spotlight with insights from researchers who use it across a wide range of applications. Dr. John Pfeifer reflects on the evolution of real-time PCR and describes qPCR as a molecular biology “Swiss Army knife.” Dr. Christian Cobaugh explains why his team returned to qPCR as a practical, cost-effective platform for developing and vetting new assays. Dr. Brandi Kiel Reese highlights qPCR’s “sweet spot” for quantifying known genes and transcripts when targets are present at measurable levels, while Lexi Heger shows how targeted and multiplex qPCR assays can distinguish grapevine pathogens and monitor them in environmental samples. Finally, Dr. Guy Novotny explains how qPCR’s broader quantitative range can be an advantage when target abundance is high.
All these guests make it clear that it is about matching the PCR technology to the experiment at hand, and that sometimes the best tool is still the classic one.

Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, hosts, and science featured in the series. Explore how Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems support research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.

Precision oncology research increasingly depends on finding the right biomarker and choosing the right tool to measure it.
In this episode of Absolute Gene-ius, Dr. Javier Hernández Losa, leader of the Molecular Biology Laboratory at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, joins Lisa Crawford and Jordan Ruggieri to discuss the evolving world of biomarker research. Javier explores the growing range of protein, DNA, RNA, and other molecular biomarkers, along with challenges posed by FFPE tissue, limited sample material, and liquid biopsy. He also explains how technology selection depends on the biological question: qPCR and digital PCR can be valuable for highly specific, sensitive analysis of a small number of known targets, while NGS can support broader profiling and discovery. The conversation also covers molecular residual disease, orthogonal validation, assay design, methylation, and the potential of combining multiple layers of molecular information.
In Career Corner, Javier reflects on 25 years in oncology research, the mentor who helped launch his career, and why young scientists should stay open to new technologies, questions, and directions. He also shares the familiar graduate-school promise that results will always be ready “on Monday.”

Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, hosts, and science featured in the series. Explore how Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems support research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.

In this Science Snapshot episode of Absolute Gene-ius, Lisa Crawford and Jordan Ruggieri revisit conversations with researchers working at the limits of molecular detection. Dr. Nikhil Ram Mohan explains how digital PCR revealed viral RNA signals that were difficult to detect by qPCR and how absolute quantification helped expose subtle differences. Dr. Clarence Lee discusses finding known biomarkers and mutations in complex samples, including circulating tumor DNA and cell and gene therapy applications. Dr. Parker Wilson shares how digital PCR helped verify rare Y chromosome loss first observed by single-cell sequencing, while Dr. Jesus Mingorance describes using multiple PCR approaches to investigate difficult-to-measure HIV-2 viral load. Finally, Wendy Wang brings the concept of partitioning to life with a memorable analogy for understanding copy number and structural variation.
Together, these stories show that rare-target research is often about more than simply asking whether a signal is present. It is about choosing the right tools to detect it, measure it confidently, and decide what that small signal might mean.


Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, hosts, and science featured in the series. Explore how Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems support research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.

Chickens cough, coronaviruses persist, and molecular methods can reveal more than meets the eye.
In this episode of Absolute Gene-ius, University of Calgary researcher Fathima Ishara Isham joins Lisa Crawford and Jordan Ruggieri to explore infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), a coronavirus that affects poultry health and can disrupt egg production. Ishara explains how IBV can move beyond the respiratory tract, why vaccination strategies differ for broilers and layers, and the practical challenges of animal studies involving large sample sets and multiple time points. She also walks through her study comparing qPCR and digital PCR for IBV detection, including quantification range, limit of detection, precision, specificity, and testing of real-world tissue, swab, air, water, and dust samples. Her findings highlight how digital PCR can detect low-level viral signals in samples that tested negative by qPCR, raising new questions about persistence and infectivity.
In Career Corner, Ishara shares her path from Sri Lanka to Canada, the value of mentorship, and why saying “I don’t know” can be a strength. Plus, she recalls a proud cell-culture milestone and one illuminating immunofluorescence mistake.

Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, hosts, and science featured in the series. Explore how Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems support research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.

Choosing between qPCR and digital PCR isn't about finding a winner, it's about asking the right scientific question.

In this Science Snapshot, Jordan Ruggieri and Lisa Crawford revisit insights from researchers including Corbin Schuster, Nikhil Ram Mohan, Brandi Kiel Reese, Pavla Brachova, Nehemiah Seth Alvarez, Raquel Muñoz, Rounak Feigelman, and Brian Bahder to explore how qPCR and dPCR work together across a wide range of applications. From environmental DNA and pathogen surveillance to COVID viral RNAemia, reproductive biology, CAR-T cell monitoring, and assay development, each guest demonstrates why qPCR often provides the speed, flexibility, and throughput needed for discovery, while digital PCR delivers the analytical sensitivity, precision, and absolute quantification required for challenging targets. Together, these examples illustrate that the strongest workflows often combine both technologies, allowing researchers to move seamlessly from broad screening to highly confident quantitative measurements.

Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guests, hosts, and science featured in the series. Explore how Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ Digital and Real-Time PCR Systems support research across neuroscience, oncology, agriculture, and more.