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Lyophilised Oligo Reconstitution Calculator

Enter the amount of lyophilised oligonucleotide from your spec sheet and the concentration you need. The calculator tells you exactly how much TE buffer or nuclease-free water to add.

Oligo Details

Check your oligo spec sheet for the yield in µmol (common synthesis scales: 0.01, 0.025, 0.05, 0.2, 1.0 µmol)

Estimated MW: ~6,600 Da (using ~330 Da per nucleotide average)

100 µM is a common stock concentration for primers

Reconstitution Recipe

Add this volume of TE buffer or nuclease-free water
250.0 µL
to get 100 µM stock solution
ParameterValue
Oligo amount0.0250 µmol (0.1650 mg)
Molecular weight6,600 Da(estimated)
Target concentration100 µM
Volume to add250.0 µL
Disclaimer: This calculator is provided as a guide only. Always verify your results independently before use in the lab. Check concentrations with a spectrophotometer (A260) where possible and confirm critical values against your oligo spec sheet.

About Oligo Reconstitution

Synthetic oligonucleotides are typically supplied as a lyophilised (freeze-dried) pellet. Before use, they must be reconstituted in an appropriate solvent to create a stock solution at a known concentration.

How the Calculation Works

The reconstitution volume is calculated from the simple relationship:

Volume (µL) = Amount (µmol) × 106 ÷ Concentration (µM)

When the amount is given in mass (mg), it is first converted to µmol using the molecular weight: µmol = mass (mg) × 1000 ÷ MW (Da). If you don’t know the exact MW, an estimate of ~330 Da per nucleotide is used.

Choosing a Solvent

TE buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl, 0.1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) is recommended for long-term storage. The slightly alkaline pH prevents depurination, and EDTA chelates metal ions that can catalyse degradation. Nuclease-free water is a good alternative when EDTA might interfere with downstream applications (e.g. certain PCR mixes or enzymatic reactions).

Oligos in Microfluidics

Oligonucleotides are widely used in microfluidic platforms for on-chip PCR, isothermal amplification (LAMP, RPA), hybridisation assays, and aptamer-based biosensors. Precise reconstitution is critical — even small concentration errors can affect assay sensitivity and reproducibility in low-volume microfluidic channels.

Storage Recommendations

Store reconstituted oligos at −20 °C in single-use aliquots. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles. Lyophilised oligos (unopened) are stable at room temperature for several months and at −20 °C for years.

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