Digital PCR for Genotype Quantification: A Case Study in a Pasta Production Chain

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Biotechnology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) offers high precision for mutation detection.
• Plant genotype quantification is crucial for agricultural supply chains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the applicability of dPCR for quantifying specific plant genotypes in raw materials and transformed products.
• To assess dPCR's utility in confirming and quantifying a durum wheat variety using a private point mutation.

Main Methods:

• Development and evaluation of a dPCR assay targeting a specific point mutation in durum wheat.
• Analysis of supply-chain samples, including commercial grain lots and pasta.
• Comparison of dPCR performance, costs, and applicability against SSR and DArTseq methods.

Main Results:

• The dPCR assay successfully confirmed the presence of the target durum wheat variety.
• Quantification of the target variety in both raw materials and transformed food products was achieved.
• The dPCR assay demonstrated high precision and applicability for variety tracking.

Conclusions:

• dPCR is a suitable and precise analytical technique for plant genotype quantification in agricultural supply chains.
• The developed dPCR assay can reliably identify and quantify specific varieties, aiding in quality control and traceability.
• dPCR presents a competitive alternative to traditional methods like SSR and DArTseq for varietal analysis.