DNA Concentration Calculation in a Bacterial Sample

How to calculate the concentration of DNA in a sample using the given data?

Given: 1.7 million bacteria with 85% of DNA recovered.

Answer:

The concentration of DNA in the sample, given 1.7 million bacteria with 85% of DNA recovered, would be approximately 1.445 million nanograms per microliter (ng/µl) or 1.445 micrograms per milliliter (µg/ml).

To determine the concentration of DNA in a sample, we need to know the amount of DNA recovered and the total volume of the sample. In this case, we are given that there were 1.7 million bacteria with 85% of DNA recovered.

First, we calculate the total amount of DNA recovered:

1.7 million bacteria * 85% = 1.445 million bacteria with recovered DNA

Next, we need to convert the number of bacteria with recovered DNA into a volume. This conversion depends on the specific DNA extraction and purification method used, as well as the average DNA content per bacterium. Let's assume an average DNA content of 1 picogram (pg) per bacterium.

1.445 million bacteria * 1 pg/bacterium = 1.445 million picograms of DNA

Finally, we can convert the picograms of DNA into nanograms or micrograms, depending on the desired unit of concentration. Therefore, the concentration of DNA in the sample would be 1.445 million nanograms per microliter (ng/µl) or 1.445 micrograms per milliliter (µg/ml), depending on the unit of measurement.