GC Content Analyser
Analyze DNA and RNA sequences to calculate GC content, base composition, and molecular weight. Essential for probe and amplicon design on microfluidic chips.
Sequence Input
Supports FASTA format, whitespace, and lowercase. Automatically detects DNA (T) vs RNA (U).
Choose based on your application (microfluidic probe design, amplicon synthesis, etc.).
Results
No sequence provided
About GC Content Analysis
GC content (the percentage of guanine and cytosine bases) is a fundamental property of nucleic acid sequences. It influences DNA melting temperature (Tm), primer design, and overall stability. Understanding base composition is critical for molecular biology applications on microfluidic chips.
Why GC Content Matters
- Melting Temperature: Higher GC content increases Tm (stronger bonds). Typically, each G-C pair adds ~4 °C compared to A-T pairs.
- Primer Design: PCR primers with 40–60% GC often perform best in microfluidic amplification. Too high or too low leads to non-specific binding.
- Probe Design: Hybridization probes for microfluidic detection chambers require precise GC content to optimize specificity and binding kinetics.
- Genome Composition: GC content varies widely across species and genomic regions, affecting algorithm design for bioinformatic tools.
GC Content in Microfluidics
On microfluidic chips, precise GC content analysis enables the design of optimized probes and amplicons for digital PCR, isothermal amplification, and lab-on-chip sequencing. The confined geometry and rapid heat transfer of microfluidic channels demand tightly controlled sequence properties to achieve reproducible results.
Molecular Weight
This calculator estimates molecular weight using average molar masses of nucleotides: ssDNA (~330 g/mol per base), dsDNA (~660 g/mol per base pair), and RNA (~340 g/mol per base). These are approximate values; actual MW may vary slightly depending on pH, ionic strength, and exact chemical modifications.
Ready to design your microfluidic chip?
Use GC content analysis to optimize probes and amplicons for your microfluidic application. Upload your design or connect with our team.