Megapixel digital PCR

This digital PCR device arrays samples into one million small-volume reactors, achieving a dynamic range of 10 7 , measurement precision better than 1% and the ability to detect single-nucleotide variants present at less than 1:100,000. We present a microfluidic 'megapixel' digital PCR device that uses surface tension–based sample partitioning and dehydration control to enable high-fidelity single DNA molecule amplification in 1,000,000 reactors of picoliter volume with densities up to 440,000 reactors cm −2 . This device achieves a dynamic range of 10 7 , single-nucleotide-variant detection below one copy per 100,000 wild-type sequences and the discrimination of a 1% difference in chromosome copy number.