Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples

We compared different methods (absorbance, fluorescent dye-binding, and digital PCR) for measuring the concentrations of human genomic DNA from cultured cells and absorbance measurements of a synthetic DNA oligonucleotide. NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2082, a pathlength absorbance standard...

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Main Authors: Hua-Jun He, Erica V. Stein, Paul DeRose, Kenneth D. Cole
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2018-02-01
Series:BioTechniques
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Online Access:https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2017-0102
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author Hua-Jun He
Erica V. Stein
Paul DeRose
Kenneth D. Cole
author_facet Hua-Jun He
Erica V. Stein
Paul DeRose
Kenneth D. Cole
author_sort Hua-Jun He
collection DOAJ
description We compared different methods (absorbance, fluorescent dye-binding, and digital PCR) for measuring the concentrations of human genomic DNA from cultured cells and absorbance measurements of a synthetic DNA oligonucleotide. NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2082, a pathlength absorbance standard, was used to benchmark the absorbance measurements done with microvolume spectrophotometers and a microvolume plate reader. Control absorbance values were measured on a high accuracy spectrophotometer and a NIST calibrated pathlength cuvette. Measurements of the human genomic DNA sample were done with several types of fluorescent dye binding assays using different DNA calibrators. The fluorescent dye binding methods gave different results for genomic DNA depending upon the type of DNA calibrator and the fluorescent dye that was used. The human genomic DNA sample was also characterized by using six different droplet digital PCR assays (amplicons located on different chromosomes) to measure the average copy number. Conversion of the digital PCR data to copy numbers was sensitive to the droplet size used for calculations and conversion to mass concentration was dependent upon the molecular weight of the human genome used for the calculations. The results from the different methods were compared and the caveats for each measurement method were discussed.
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spelling doaj-art-1bfa7a0c0a9a41039b6433f2712f88fb2025-08-20T02:26:03ZengTaylor & Francis GroupBioTechniques0736-62051940-98182018-02-01642596810.2144/btn-2017-0102Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samplesHua-Jun He0Erica V. Stein1Paul DeRose2Kenneth D. Cole31The Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 208991The Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 208991The Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 208991The Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, The National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899We compared different methods (absorbance, fluorescent dye-binding, and digital PCR) for measuring the concentrations of human genomic DNA from cultured cells and absorbance measurements of a synthetic DNA oligonucleotide. NIST Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2082, a pathlength absorbance standard, was used to benchmark the absorbance measurements done with microvolume spectrophotometers and a microvolume plate reader. Control absorbance values were measured on a high accuracy spectrophotometer and a NIST calibrated pathlength cuvette. Measurements of the human genomic DNA sample were done with several types of fluorescent dye binding assays using different DNA calibrators. The fluorescent dye binding methods gave different results for genomic DNA depending upon the type of DNA calibrator and the fluorescent dye that was used. The human genomic DNA sample was also characterized by using six different droplet digital PCR assays (amplicons located on different chromosomes) to measure the average copy number. Conversion of the digital PCR data to copy numbers was sensitive to the droplet size used for calculations and conversion to mass concentration was dependent upon the molecular weight of the human genome used for the calculations. The results from the different methods were compared and the caveats for each measurement method were discussed.https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2017-0102absorbancedigital PCRfluorescent dye bindinggenomic DNAhumanmeasurements
spellingShingle Hua-Jun He
Erica V. Stein
Paul DeRose
Kenneth D. Cole
Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples
BioTechniques
absorbance
digital PCR
fluorescent dye binding
genomic DNA
human
measurements
title Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples
title_full Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples
title_fullStr Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples
title_full_unstemmed Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples
title_short Limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic DNA and oligonucleotide samples
title_sort limitations of methods for measuring the concentration of human genomic dna and oligonucleotide samples
topic absorbance
digital PCR
fluorescent dye binding
genomic DNA
human
measurements
url https://www.future-science.com/doi/10.2144/btn-2017-0102
work_keys_str_mv AT huajunhe limitationsofmethodsformeasuringtheconcentrationofhumangenomicdnaandoligonucleotidesamples
AT ericavstein limitationsofmethodsformeasuringtheconcentrationofhumangenomicdnaandoligonucleotidesamples
AT paulderose limitationsofmethodsformeasuringtheconcentrationofhumangenomicdnaandoligonucleotidesamples
AT kennethdcole limitationsofmethodsformeasuringtheconcentrationofhumangenomicdnaandoligonucleotidesamples