Uninterruptible Power Supply Improves Precision and External Validity of Telomere Length Measurement via qPCR.

ABSTRACT: Technical challenges associated with telomere length (TL) measurements have prompted concerns regarding their utility as a biomarker of aging. Several factors influence TL assessment via qPCR, the most common measurement method in epidemiological studies, including storage conditions and DNA extraction method. Here, we tested the impact of power supply during the qPCR assay. Momentary fluctuations in power can affect the functioning of high-performance electronics, including real-time thermocyclers. We investigated if mitigating these fluctuations by using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) influenced TL assessment via qPCR. Samples run with a UPS had significantly lower standard deviation (p < 0.001) and coefficient of variation (p < 0.001) across technical

SUBMITTER: Hastings WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7954403 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature