# Pdot-Enabled Point-of-Care Digital PCR for Sensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2

> **NIH NIH R44** · LAMPROGEN, INC. · 2020 · $410,204

## Abstract

Project Summary
Current SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnosis tests mostly are based on real-time quantitative PCR
(qPCR). Digital PCR is a next-generation PCR technology based on limiting dilution, end-point
PCR, and Poisson statistics. Digital PCR transforms the exponential, analog nature of qPCR
quantification into a linear, digital signal quantification. Compared to qPCR, digital PCR offers
several important advantages, including its ability to provide absolute quantification, tolerance to
inhibitors/contaminants, and its high sensitivity.
Two recent studies showed digital PCR has improved sensitivity for picking up COVID-19 that
qPCR had missed. In addition, for some patients, results on SARS-CoV-2 infections from qPCR
varied from day to day. But unlike qPCR, digital PCR showed consistent reproducible results.
Overall, digital PCR was shown to reduce significantly false-negative results, which is
particularly useful for diagnosing early or asymptomatic infections or for testing convalescent
patients before discharge.
Current fluorescent probes used in qPCR, such as FAM (a fluorescein dye), do not have the
brightness to be visualized with a cell-phone type camera. To address this issue and to enable
simple cell-phone readout of digital PCR results in a point-of-care setting, this project aims to
develop Pdots into ultrabright probes for digital PCR assays that can provide sensitive detection
of SARS-CoV-2.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10165078
- **Project number:** 3R44GM126848-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** LAMPROGEN, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Jiangbo Yu
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $410,204
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2017-09-20 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10165078

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10165078, Pdot-Enabled Point-of-Care Digital PCR for Sensitive Detection of SARS-CoV-2 (3R44GM126848-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10165078. Licensed CC0.

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