Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was discovered in 1983 by Kary Mullis and Michael Smith, who were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993. Since then, PCR has been a cornerstone method that has been a pillar of discovery and applied science. The various types of PCR are sometimes confusing, and the relative pros and cons of each method are not always clear, which is why it’s so great to have this episode's guest explain them all in a simple and clear-cut way. 

Dave Bauer, PhD, is an Application Scientist at Thermo Fisher Scientific that specializes in real time PCR (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR).  He has an educational background in physics, mathematics, and biology, but what’s more important is that Dave loves to help others learn and to break down a topic’s complexities to make it more understandable and approachable.  In this episode we hear Dave explain the difference between qPCR and dPCR, the importance of Poisson statistics to dPCR, dead volume, reaction chamber volume consistency, and more.  We learn how qPCR and dPCR complement each other and how they relate to sequencing methods for applications like single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection.  

As you’ve come to expect from Absolute Gene-ius, you also get a good sense of who Dave is and how he got to his current role. We learn about how he knew right away that academia wasn’t for him, how he ended up unexpectedly working in forensics after his PhD, and how he eventually landed in his current Application Scientist role. Dave shares some great insights and advice, including how students should care less about their degree’s name and more about what techniques they’re learning and using in their studies. 

Visit the Absolute Gene-ius page to learn more about the guest, the hosts, and the Applied Biosystems QuantStudio Absolute Q Digital PCR System.

This episode includes the following sound effects from freesound.org, licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0:

• “Sax Jazz,” by alonart
• “Balloon Pop / Christmas cracker / Confetti Cannon,” by Breviceps
• “Crowd Cheering,” by SoundsExciting