Nucleic acid quantification is essential in experiments associated with
genetic engineering. Over periods, several techniques have been developed to quantify
nucleic acids. UV-Vis spectrophotometer is the simplest technique where it is
associated with absorbance, which is proportional to the concentration of the sample.
There are some colourimetric methods, such as the diphenylamine (DPA) method, and
the orcinol method, where nucleic acid reacts with diphenylamine and forms a bright
blue colour complex, and orcinol reacts and forms a green colour complex. Apart from
that, some advanced techniques, such as fluorescence techniques, are used for
quantification. In this chapter, each of these methods is explained in detail.
Keywords: Diphenylamine (DPA) method, Fluorescence, Nucleic acid, Orcinol method, UV-Vis spectrophotometer.
