💡 Quick Summary
Random Coding DNA generates random open reading frames — each beginning with a start codon and ending with a stop codon. You can choose the genetic code, the length in codons, and how many sequences to generate. Useful for creating null-model sequences to evaluate the significance of sequence analysis results.
📋 How to Use
- Enter the desired length in codons (default: 1000; maximum: 4,000,000). The output sequence will have length × 3 bases.
- Select the genetic code to use for choosing start, stop, and coding codons (default: Standard).
- Choose how many sequences to generate (1, 10, 50, or 100).
- Click Run. Each sequence is output as a FASTA record with an auto-generated title. Use Copy to copy the plain-text result.
🔬 Applications
- Generating null-model sequences for benchmarking ORF finders or codon usage tools
- Creating synthetic positive controls that begin with ATG and end with a stop codon
- Testing alignment or pattern search tools against sequences with defined codon composition
- Evaluating how random sequences score under various sequence analysis metrics
⚠️ Common Mistakes & Warnings
Every click of Run produces a different random sequence. The codon at each position is chosen uniformly at random from the set of start, coding, or stop codons for the selected genetic code.
Generating 100 sequences of 1,000,000 codons each creates 300,000,000 bases in the browser. For very large outputs, use a smaller count or length.
In the original SMS logic, methionine (ATG) codons are included in both the start codon list and the coding codon list. This means internal Met residues can appear in the coding region.
