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Mutation Rates from Offspring, Sequence or Zero-Mutant Cultures

Evaluate three distinct mutation-rate observation models with their own denominators and experimental assumptions.

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How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the known values in the units shown. Results update as you type.
  2. Where results are editable, change one to solve backwards. Lock a value to hold it fixed.
  3. Use the worked example to check the method. Reset restores the starting fields.

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Formula and method

Twenty mutant offspring among 1000 diploid offspring give 0.01 mutations per allele in the phenotypic model.

Phenotypic rate = mutant offspring/(2×offspring); genomic rate = mutations/(generations×sites); p0 rate = −ln(p0)/final cells.

Worked example

Enter these known values and leave the other values blank.

Detect mutation rate by:
Per-locus phenotypic method
Mutant offspring (x)
20
Total offspring (N)
1000
Mutation rate (μ)
0.01

Assumptions and limitations

  • The three observation methods estimate different quantities and are not interchangeable. The phenotypic denominator assumes two alleles per diploid offspring and an appropriate detectable phenotype; genomic counts assume comparable sequencing and generations.
  • Count denominators are positive whole numbers and numerator counts cannot be fractional or exceed their documented sampling domain. The retained operating model requires positive mutant counts and rates below one.
  • The zero-mutant estimator uses the fraction of independent cultures without mutants, not the fraction of individual cells. It approximates divisions by final cell count when the inoculum is negligible. Its documented reliable p0 range is 0.1 to 0.7.
  • The model does not correct for selection, differential growth, death, plating efficiency or uncertainty. Experimental design and confidence intervals require separate analysis.

Common questions

What does the result describe?

The three observation methods estimate different quantities and are not interchangeable. The phenotypic denominator assumes two alleles per diploid offspring and an appropriate detectable phenotype; genomic counts assume comparable sequencing and generations.

References

Enforce the documented finite physical, count and denominator domains.

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