Mark Dalton BEng

PhDResearch Postgraduate (2008-2011)

e: mark.dalton@ul.ie

t: +353-61-202471

Mark Dalton graduated with a first class honours degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Limerick in 2008. Mark has completed industrial work experience with Stokes Bio, working as an R&D engineer on the development of microfluidic technologies for Gene Expression measurement and Gene Target Detection. Mark was awarded an IRCSET postgraduate research scholarship and commenced research in 2008. His primary research interests are in digital quantitative PCR for use in prenatal diagnostics.

PhD Project Title: Development of a Digital Polymerase Chain Reactor for the Molecular Detection of Fetal Chromosomal Aneuploidy

Digital PCR is based on the hypothesis that an initial sample of genetic material can be so diluted as to ensure that there is only one copy of the target molecule in any one reaction. Subsequent amplification of the target can result in absolute quantification. Digital PCR is not suitable to standard well-based formats, owing to the large number of reactions required. Digital PCR is considered an extremely important method for both absolute quantification and rare target detection. This project is based on the development of a miniaturised continuous type flow device that is capable of digital PCR for the detection of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy.