How do you decide whether a qPCR efficiency estimate is trustworthy?
How many points and technical replicates do you require in a qPCR dilution series, and how do you choose its concentration range? I am interested in the order used to inspect replicate dispersion, failed low-copy reactions, slope, linearity, and residuals. When an efficiency estimate changes after excluding one dilution, what criterion justifies narrowing the working range, and what pattern disqualifies the primer pair?
