How to Use the Codon Usage Analyzer
Step 1: Enter your DNA coding sequence in the input box above. The sequence should contain complete codons (divisible by 3).
Step 2: Click Analyze Codon Usage. The tool groups all codons by their amino acid and shows count and usage percentage for each.
Step 3: The usage bar shows the relative frequency of each codon compared to other synonymous codons for the same amino acid.
Step 4: Use the Download button to save the results as a text file for further analysis.
What is Codon Usage?
Codon usage refers to how frequently each of the 64 possible codons appears in a DNA sequence. Since most amino acids are encoded by multiple synonymous codons, organisms tend to prefer certain codons over others â this is called codon bias.
Relative Usage = (codon count / total synonymous codons) Ã 100
// Example â Leucine codons in sequence:
CTT used 3 times, CTC used 1 time, CTG used 2 times
Total Leu codons = 6
CTT usage = 3/6 Ã 100 = 50%
CTC usage = 1/6 Ã 100 = 16.7%
CTG usage = 2/6 Ã 100 = 33.3%
Why Codon Usage Matters
Codon bias affects gene expression, protein folding speed, and is important for codon optimization in recombinant protein production. When expressing a human gene in bacteria for example, you need to optimize codons to match the bacterial codon preference for maximum protein yield.