Single EV Analysis: Four Markers. One Microliter. No Size Bias.
Move past the physical limitations of NTA and the bulk constraints of traditional ELISA. By partitioning individual vesicles, PICO isolates and detects the true co-occurrence of up to four surface markers simultaneously on a single membrane. Achieve up to 100x higher sensitivity than bulk assays with zero background interference.
- Absolute Accuracy: Get precise, direct vesicle counts from just 1 µL of purified sample—completely independent of physical particle size.
- Rock-Solid Reproducibility (CV < 10%): Eliminate user error and experimental drift. Our standardized chemistry guarantees a coefficient of variation under 10%, delivering identical results regardless of the operator, date, or dPCR platform.
Unmask your subpopulations. Secure reproducible insights. PICO makes it count!
Benefits
Absolute Digital Quantification (Standard-Free)
Eliminate the hassle of external calibration. PICO delivers absolute particle counts and true protein copy numbers directly from your digital PCR readout—no reference materials or standard curves required.Zero calibration. Direct molecular data.
Maximum Insight from Minimal Input
Extract unprecedented high-resolution data from your most precious clinical specimens. PICO’s sensitive chemistry allows you to fully characterize target populations using as little as 1 µL of purified sample. Conserve your sample. Maximize your data.
Marker-Specific Counting (Size-Independent)
Break free from the limitations of NTA and flow cytometry. PICO completely bypasses optical size barriers and eliminates interference from non-specific debris by counting only confirmed, marker-positive targets.Stop guessing by size. Start counting by biology.
Bench-to-Bench consistency
Solve the reproducibility crisis once and for all. PICO standardizes your digital proteomics workflow, delivering identical, rock-solid results regardless of the operator, the experimental date, or the specific dPCR hardware configuration in your lab.Eliminate variability. Secure reproducible insights.
Reference-Free Digital Counting of Intact EVs
PICO enables the absolute quantification of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) without the requirement for external calibration standards, which are often unavailable or inconsistent in EV research. By utilizing digital PCR (dPCR) partitioning, the assay calculates the number of "couplexes"— counting complexes of two antibodies and the target—to determine the exact vesicle count per microliter. This approach provides a robust, standardized measurement of EV copy numbers that is independent of the vesicle's cellular origin
100x Higher Sensitivity than Traditional ELISA
PICO overcomes the low-abundance challenges of EVs, which often exist in the lower picomolar range even after enrichment and purification. The assay achieves a Limit of Detection (LOD) of 105 vesicles/µL, making it one to two orders of magnitude more sensitive than traditional bulk assays. Researchers can achieve these high-sensitivity results using as little as 1 µL of starting material, preserving precious clinical samples for further downstream analysis.
Marker-Specific Identification vs. Physical Sizing
While technologies like NTA or flow cytometry are limited by vesicle size and debris interference, PICO identifies EVs solely based on molecular surface markers. The assay distinguishes specific subpopulations by detecting the co-occurrence of multiple markers (e.g., CD9 and CD63) on the same intact membrane. In studies using human blood plasma, PICO successfully quantified CD63+ and CD9/CD63+ subpopulations, proving its efficacy in complex, clinically relevant biofluids.
Detergent-Free Analysis of Membranous Structures
To accurately characterize EV subpopulations, surface epitopes must be detected in conditions that preserve the lipid bilayer, a requirement that is challenging for traditional immunoassays. Unlike standard assays that use harsh detergents or large adsorption surfaces like ELISA, the PICO workflow is entirely detergent-free. By maintaining the vesicles in PBS throughout the dilution and binding phases, PICO ensures that the quantified "couplexes" represent true, intact membranous structures.
