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DNA Concentration Calculator

Created by Michael Darcy
Reviewed by Dominik Czernia, PhD and Alexa Ruiz
Based on research by
Cantor CR, Warshaw MM, Shipiro H Oligonucleotide interactions. 3. Circular dichroism studies of the conformation of deoxyoligonucleotides; Biopolymers; 1970See 1 more source
Cavaluzzi MJ, Borer PN Revised UV extinction coefficients for nucleoside–5‘–monophosphates and unpaired DNA and RNA; Nucleic Acids Research; 2004
Last updated: Mar 13, 2024


If you're about to send your sample to a laboratory or happen to be simply interested in microbiology, the DNA concentration calculator might just come in handy. What's even better, it works for RNA and the oligo sequences as well!

We also strongly encourage you to read on if you wish to satisfy your thirst for knowledge. In this article, you will learn about DNA and RNA quantification, the average molecular weights of nucleotides, how to calculate DNA concentration from A260, and how to deal with oligonucleotides.

Spectrophotometric analysis of nucleic acids — DNA and RNA quantification

DNA and RNA quantification is usually performed prior to any experiments to determine the concentration and purity of the sample. Many reactions (such as PCR: we made a tool about it: the annealing temperature calculator) involving nucleic acids have specific requirements regarding these two values, so determining them is necessary to obtain the expected results. The amount of added reagents also depends on the initial sample concentration.

The most popular methods of quantification are:

  • Spectrophotometric analysis of nucleic acids, which works by measuring the UV absorbance of the substance to give you an idea of its concentration and if there are any contaminants. It doesn't require any additional reagents, but it can't distinguish between DNA and RNA and has limited sensitivity at low concentrations.

  • UV fluorescence tagging, which uses dyes that fluoresce when they bind with nucleic acid. This method is more time-consuming and requires a set of known samples for comparison, but it's also more sensitive.

  • Agarose gel electrophoresis, which is more complex, but it can also tell you if your sample is intact. It doesn't rely on checking the DNA absorbance. Instead, it uses agarose gel containing ethidium bromide and samples of known concentration for comparison. Then, a UV light is used to photograph the gel, and you can compare fluorescence intensities and estimate the concentrations.

Omni's DNA concentration calculator is meant to help you analyze the results of the spectrophotometry.

How to calculate the DNA concentration from A₂₆₀?

Luckily, if you're dealing with a standard sample, gathering data from the spectrophotometric analysis of nucleic acids is probably the most challenging part. After that, all you need to do is use the following formula derived from the Beer-Lambert Law:

C=A260l×CF×DFC = \frac{A_{260}}{l} \times \text{CF} \times \text{DF}

where:

  • CC – Concentration of the nucleic acid in the sample.

  • A260A_{260} – The maximum absorbance as indicated by the spectrophotometric reading. This usually occurs at the wavelength of 260 nm, but it may change depending on the nucleotide. So, if you wondered, why is 260 nm used for DNA?, this is the answer.

  • llPathlength, and more precisely, the length of the cuvette used. The standard value is 1 cm, but your instrument may use a different size.

  • DF\text{DF}Dilution factor. It applies only when the sample is diluted. For instance, if you diluted 1 liter of sample in 50 liters of H2O, the dilution factor would be 50. The dilution factor calculator can help you determine the right value.

  • CF\text{CF}Conversion factor, which depends on the sample type:

    • 33 µg/mL for single-stranded DNA (ssDNA);
    • 50 µg/mL for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA); and
    • 40 µg/mL for RNA.

The most popular concentration units are μg/mL, ng/mL, and mg/mL. After learning how to calculate DNA concentration from A260A_{260}, let's do the same for other sample types.

How to compute the oligonucleotide sequence concentration?

Oligonucleotides are short, synthetic strands of DNA or RNA that have a number of applications in microbiology. Because they also can be used in processes such as PCR, it's sometimes useful to be able to calculate their concentration. This value is obtained from the equation:

C=A260ε260×l×MW×DFC = \frac{A_{260}}{\varepsilon_{260} \times l} \times \text{MW} \times \text{DF}

where:

  • ε260\varepsilon_{260} – Extinction coefficient; and
  • MW\text{MW} – Molecular weight.

The concentration units are like in the previous case. As you may have noticed, the conversion factor was replaced by molecular weightextinction coefficient\frac{\text{molecular weight}}{\text{extinction coefficient}}. Unfortunately, because oligos are short and can be made up of different nucleotides, estimates aren't accurate. Therefore,
these have to be computed manually – we will take you through the steps below.

Average molecular weight of a nucleotide

To find the total molecular weight of your oligo sequence, you simply need to sum up the atomic weights of all nucleotides in it. You may have to adjust the value depending on its type:

  • DNA without 5' monophosphate present — This is an oligo sequence without any modifications. To account for the removal of HPO2 and the addition of two hydrogens, subtract 61.96 Da for ssDNA or 123.38 Da for dsDNA.
  • DNA with 5' monophosphate present — To include 5' monophosphate left by restriction enzymes, add 17.04 Da for ssDNA or 34.08 Da for dsDNA.
  • RNA with a 5' triphosphate — To account for the 5' triphosphate, add 159.0 Da.

The unit used is Dalton, 1 Da ≈ 1 g/mol.

Below, we present the table of values you can use for the calculation:

Nucleotide

ssDNA [Da]

dsDNA [Da]

RNA [Da]

Adenine

313.21

616.78

329.21

Guanine

329.21

617.88

345.21

Cytosine

289.18

617.88

305.18

Thymine

304.20

616.78

N/A

Uracil

N/A

N/A

306.20

So, for instance, if you tested an unmodified ssDNA oligo sequence AGGTC, its molecular weight would be:

313.21 + 2 × 329.21 + 304.2 + 289.18 − 61.96 = 1503.05 g/mol.

How to calculate the extinction coefficients of DNA and RNA oligo sequences?

The extinction coefficient of a material describes how strongly it absorbs light. This quantity is a bit tricky despite being a rather simple addition. This is because the sum depends not only on the component nucleotides but also on their order. So, how to calculate the extinction coefficient of your oligo sequence? Use the nearest neighbor model:

ε260=i=1N1εnearest neighbor i=2N1εindividual bases\begin{split} \varepsilon_{260} = \displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^{N-1}\varepsilon_{\text{nearest neighbor}}\ -\\ \displaystyle\sum_{i=2}^{N-1}\varepsilon_{\text{individual bases}} \end{split}

where:

  • ε260\varepsilon_{260} – Extinction coefficient of the oligo sequence at 260 nm;

  • i=1N1εnearest neighbor\textstyle\sum_{i=1}^{N-1}\varepsilon_{\text{nearest neighbor}} – Sum of the extinction coefficients of all adjacent pairs of nucleotides; and

  • i=2N1εindividual bases\textstyle\sum_{i=2}^{N-1}\varepsilon_{\text{individual bases}} – Sum of the extinction coefficients of individual nucleotides, excluding the first and the last ones.

The appropriate values can be obtained from the tables below. The units used are M-1 cm-1, where M stands for molarity.

🔎 If you're interested in learning more about molarity, consider visiting our molarity calculator.

Nearest neighbor values:

5'/3' position

Adenine

Guanine

Cytosine

Thymine

Uracil

Adenine

27,400

25,000

21,200

22,800

24,600

Guanine

25,200

21,600

17,600

20,000

20,000

Cytosine

21,200

18,000

14,600

15,200

17,200

Thymine

23,400

19,000

16,200

16,800

N/A

Uracil

24,000

21,200

16,200

N/A

19,600

Here 5'/3' position relates to the fact that each end of the DNA molecule has a number. The 5' carbon has a phosphate group attached to it, the 3' – carbon-hydroxyl group. DNA is read in from 5' to 3' direction.

Individual bases:

Adenine

Guanine

Cytosine

Thymine

Uracil

15,400

11,500

7,400

8,700

9,900

This may seem complicated, so let us continue the example of ssDNA oligo sequence AGGTC. It consists of 4 pairs: AG, GG, GT, and TC. Therefore, the sum of εnearest neighbor\varepsilon_{\text{nearest neighbor}} is:

i=1N1εnearest neighbor=25, ⁣200 +21, ⁣600+19, ⁣000+15, ⁣200=81, ⁣000 M1cm1\small \begin{split} \sum_{i=1}^{N-1}\varepsilon_{\text{nearest neighbor}} = 25,\!200\ +\\ 21,\!600 + 19,\!000 + 15,\!200\\ = 81,\!000\ \text{M}^{-1}\text{cm}^{-1} \end{split}

The individual bases to be considered are G, G, and T. Hence:

i=2N1εindividual bases=2×11, ⁣500 +8, ⁣700=31, ⁣700 M1cm1\small \begin{split} \sum_{i=2}^{N-1}\varepsilon_{\text{individual bases}} = 2 \times 11,\!500\ + \\8,\!700 = 31,\!700\ \text{M}^{-1}\text{cm}^{-1} \end{split}

This yields the extinction coefficient:

ε260=81, ⁣00031, ⁣700=49, ⁣300 M1cm1\small \begin{split} \varepsilon_{260} &= 81,\!000 - 31,\!700\\ &= 49,\!300\ \text{M}^{-1}\text{cm}^{-1} \end{split}

Since we have already calculated the molecular weight (1503.05 g/mol), if we assume the DNA absorbance to be 4,900, no dilution, and standard cuvette size, we can calculate the concentration. Inputting these values into the DNA concentration calculator gives the final result of 149.39 mg/mL.

FAQ

What is a good DNA concentration?

It can be anything between 10 and 300 ng/µL, but there is no set value, and you should check with your laboratory. The DNA concentration required will depend on the following:

  • Sensitivity of the sequencing machine;
  • Sample size and volume; and
  • Sample type. For example, PCR products need less concentration than Plasmids.

What is OD₂₆₀?

OD260 stands for the optical density at the wavelength of 260 nm, which measures the reduction in light transmittance caused by scattering. The slower the light is able to travel through a substance, the higher its OD260 is. It's related to the absorbance, A260, as follows:

OD260 = A260 × volume [ml] / pathlength [cm].

How to calculate the DNA concentration from OD₂₆₀?

You can calculate the DNA concentration using the formula:

concentration [μg/mL] = OD260 × conversion factor

The conversion factor converts the optical density into concentration and has a fixed value for dsDNA, ssDNA, and RNA.

How to calculate the DNA yield from concentration?

To find the DNA yield from its concentration, use the following equation:

DNA yield [µg] = DNA concentration [μg/mL] × total sample volume [mL].

DNA yield also depends on the quality, freshness, and type of the sample (e.g., saliva or blood).

What does the 260/280 ratio mean?

It is the ratio of the sample absorbance at the wavelengths of 260 and 280 nm. It is used as a measure of the purity of a nucleic acid sample. For pure DNA, the accepted value is ~1.8, whereas for RNA, it's typically ~2.0.

How to calculate the 260/280 ratio?

To find the 260/280 ratio, proceed as follows:

  1. Measure the absorbance of the sample at the wavelength of 260 nm (A₂₆₀).
  2. Measure the absorbance of the sample at the wavelength of 280 nm (A₂₈₀).
  3. Divide A₂₆₀ by A₂₈₀ to obtain the ratio.

Why is 260 nm used for DNA?

Nucleic acids absorb UV light at a specific wavelength. For DNA and RNA, the maximum absorbance occurs at 260 nm. For comparison, at 280 nm, this value is approximately halved.

Michael Darcy
Sample type
Single-stranded DNA
Conversion factor
μg/mL
Absorbance at λmax
Pathlength
in
Dilution factor
Concentration
µg/mL
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