DNA Copy Number Calculator
🧬 DNA Copy Number Calculator — Convert DNA Mass to Molecules Instantly
The DNA Copy Number Calculator is an essential molecular biology tool that allows you to calculate the number of DNA copies (molecules) in your sample from a known DNA mass or concentration. It’s a quick, reliable way to estimate template quantities for qPCR, cloning, and gene expression studies — ensuring precision in every experiment.
🧠 What Is DNA Copy Number?
DNA copy number represents the total number of DNA molecules in a given amount of sample. Determining copy number helps researchers quantify genetic material for downstream applications such as:
- Real-time PCR (qPCR)
- Plasmid quantification
- Gene dosage analysis
- Viral load estimation
Knowing the exact copy number ensures accurate template dilution, proper reaction setup, and consistent experimental results.
⚙️ How Does the DNA Copy Number Calculator Work?
Our DNA Copy Number Calculator converts DNA mass (in nanograms or micrograms) into the number of DNA molecules using molecular weight and Avogadro’s constant.
Formula Used:
Copy Number=(Amount in ng)×6.022×1023(DNA length in bp)×1×109×650\text{Copy Number} = \frac{(\text{Amount in ng}) \times 6.022 \times 10^{23}}{(\text{DNA length in bp}) \times 1 \times 10^{9} \times 650}Copy Number=(DNA length in bp)×1×109×650(Amount in ng)×6.022×1023
Where:
- 6.022 × 10²³ = Avogadro’s number (molecules per mole)
- 650 g/mol = average molecular weight of one base pair
- DNA length = number of base pairs in the fragment
This equation assumes double-stranded DNA, giving you the total number of copies per sample instantly.
🧩 Applications of the DNA Copy Number Calculator
The calculator is commonly used in:
- 🧫 qPCR and digital PCR — to prepare accurate DNA templates.
- 🧬 Molecular cloning — to determine plasmid or gene copy numbers.
- 🧪 Genomics research — for gene dosage and variation studies.
- 💉 Viral quantification — to estimate viral genome counts in diagnostics.
Using this tool eliminates manual calculations, ensuring high precision and reproducibility across experiments.
📊 Example Calculation
Suppose you have 5 ng of a 3,000 bp plasmid. Copy Number=(5×10−9)×6.022×1023(3000×650×1.66×10−24)\text{Copy Number} = \frac{(5 \times 10^{-9}) \times 6.022 \times 10^{23}}{(3000 \times 650 \times 1.66 \times 10^{-24})}Copy Number=(3000×650×1.66×10−24)(5×10−9)×6.022×1023
Simplifying this gives approximately:
✅ 1.55 × 10⁹ copies
So, your 5 ng plasmid sample contains about 1.55 billion DNA molecules.
🔗 Related Tools
Explore more molecular biology calculators to simplify your lab workflow:
- DNA Dilution Calculator – Prepare accurate DNA concentrations for experiments.
- Molarity Calculator – Convert mass, moles, and volume easily for your lab solutions.
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