Episode 2: The Future of Digital PCR and Quantitative PCR

Mikael has been interested in life sciences for as long as he can remember. He studied chemistry at University of Göteborg, Sweden, and obtained his B.Sc. in chemistry in 1984. He then worked at Astra Hässle (today part of AstraZeneca), studying the K+/H+-ATPase inhibitor omeprazole, which became the bestselling pharmaceutical drug of its time for treating ulcers. In 1988, he received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry for studies of nucleic acid interactions with polarized light spectroscopy. After post-doctoral studies on transcriptional foot-printing (Melbourne, Australia), and chromatin and epigenetic modulation of nucleosomes (Yale, USA), he started his own research group in Göteborg on DNA-ligand interactions. His group discovered a novel mechanism of transcriptional activation of oncogenes, which led to the development of a new class of anticancer drugs targeting specific quadruplex DNA structures. Mikael’s team also developed methods for multidimensional data analysis (based on which MultiD Analyses AB was founded), and invented the light-up probes for nucleic acid detection in homogeneous solution, which led to the foundation of LightUp Technologies AB as Europe’s first company focused on quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-based diagnostics. In 2001, Mikael founded TATAA Biocenter as a center of excellence in qPCR and gene expression analysis, initially as a training institution and later as a custom service and high-quality reagent provider. During his career, Mikael has registered 21 patents and has founded five biotechnology start-up companies focused. He has also authored over 170 original research papers and 19 reviews in international peer-review journals that have been cited more than 15,000 times. Mikael also co-authored the MIQE guidelines for RT-qPCR analysis, which receives an average of 25 citations per week, and is a member of the CEN/ISO group drafting guidelines for the pre-analytical process in molecular diagnostics.

Science Fellow at the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) & Designated Institute for chemical & bio-metrology, responsible for leading the bioanalytical agenda and driving UK Biometrology leadership at a global level. Following his PhD at Cardiff University in 2002 Dr Huggett moved to UCL to work with Professor Alimuddin Zumla on infectious disease diagnosis in the developing world. While working with scientists from several African nations he recognised that diagnostic standardisation represented a major barrier to ensuring accuracy and wider uptake. Inspired this challenge, in 2009 he moved to the NML where he now leads a team focusing on routes to deliver high accuracy genetic and genomic measurement. Dr Huggett is a member of the MHRA’s Pathogen Diagnostic Advisory Group and represents the UK (BSI) on ISO diagnostic committees focussed on genetic diagnosis, microbiology and testing responses to pandemics. He also supported the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory in their COVID VOC screening to ensure the PCR tests would detect new variants of concern. He currently sits on the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry’s committee for molecular diagnostics and the BIPM’s consultative committee for chemistry and bioanalysis where he is the current chair of the nucleic acid analysis working group (NAWG). Dr Huggett, who is also a visiting Professor at the University of Surrey, has led several international initiatives to develop improvements in applied molecular testing on topics ranging from cancer genetics to rapid diagnosis of sepsis. As the chair of the NAWG he led the CCQM’s response to COVID-19 which enabled 21 reference laboratories across 16 countries to setup a standardised assays in less than 6 months.