What can I do to improve the sensitivity of my qPCR assay?
If you are targeting a low-abundance gene, you may have trouble getting Ct values in a good, reliable range (Ct > 32). To increase the sensitivity of the assay, you may want to consider the following:
- Increase the amount of RNA input into your reverse transcription reaction, if possible
- Increase the amount of cDNA in your qPCR reaction (20% by volume max)
- Try a different reverse transcription kit, such as our SuperScript VILO Master Mix, for the highest cDNA yield possible
- Consider trying a one-step or Cells-to-CT type workflow (depending on your sample type)