x 100 = 0.1% Alternatively, CFUs can be reported per microgram of DNA used for the transformation. This can be calculated by multiplying the number of colonies by the volume of the culture plated and dividing by the amount of DNA used. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) - This method utilizes the fact that the plasmid DNA will have a specific gene or sequence that is not present in the host cell genome, and therefore can be used as a target for qPCR. By quantifying the number of copies of this specific gene or sequence in the transformed cells, it is possible to determine the amount of plasmid DNA present in the cell, and thus the transformation efficiency. Fluorescent assay - This method relies on the use of a plasmid that contains a fluorescent protein or reporter gene. The transformed cells are then analyzed by flow cytometry or fluorescence microscopy to determine the number of cells that express the fluorescent protein. The transformation efficiency is then calculated as the percentage of cells that express the fluorescent protein. The number of viable cells in a preparation for a transformation reaction may range from 2×108 to 1011; most common methods of E. coli preparation yield around 1010 viable cells per reaction. The standard plasmids used for determination of transformation efficiency in Escherichia coli are pBR322 or other similarly-sized or smaller vectors, such as the pUC series of vectors. Different vectors however may be used to determine their transformation efficiency. 10–100 pg of DNA may be used for transformation, more DNA may be necessary for low-efficiency transformation (generally saturation level is reached at over 10 ng). After transformation, 1% and 10% of the cells are plated separately, the cells may be diluted in media as necessary for ease of plating. Further dilution may be used for high efficiency transformation. A transformation efficiency of 1×108 cfu/μg for a small plasmid like pUC19 is roughly equivalent to 1 in 2000 molecules of the plasmid used being introduced into cells. In E. coli, the theoretical limit of transformation efficiency for most commonly used plasmids would be over 1×1011 cfu/μg. In practice the best achievable result may be around 2–4×1010 cfu/μg for a small plasmid like pUC19, and considerably lower for large plasmids. Factors affecting transformation efficiency Individual cells are capable of taking up many DNA molecules, but the presence of multiple plasmids does not significantly affect the occurrence