Paper accepted to BioTechniques

Congratulations to Colin Skeen! His first-author paper entitled “Standardized droplet preamplification method for downstream circulating cell-free DNA analysis” was accepted for publication in BioTechniques. This paper reports the development of a standardized ddPCR protocol for robust pre-PCR enrichment of liquid biopsy samples. Preamplification strategies that leverage droplet microfluidics have enabled robust analysis low abundance ctDNA shed by localized tumors. However, there is no standardized protocol for ensuring specific and robust enrichment, or efficient amplicon recovery from droplets. Our study addresses this gap by systematically evaluating emulsion stabilization techniques and optimizing recovery efficiency. While the focus of this manuscript is ccfDNA, this approach can be translated to other low-biomass samples, including saliva, urine, or archival tissue.

Citation: C Skeen, ED Pratt, Standardized droplet preamplification method for downstream circulating cell-free DNA analysis, BioTechniques, 77(3), 125–135, 2025 [PDF]