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RNA-Seq Project Calculator

RNA-Seq Project Calculator

Calculator will determine the number of total reads and the correct flow cell selection to achieve necessary read depth on a RNA-Seq project. Inquire about our NovaSeq Shared Services to take advantage of the NovaSeq X throughput.

Typical RNA-Seq parameters.

  • 50 million paired reads per sample for a mammalian size transcriptome
  • 20 million paired reads per sample for bacterial transcriptome

Number of Samples                                

Targeted Reads Per Sample (in millions)


Total Reads to Generate               Million Reads

                    Flow Cell Number
NovaSeq X (10B) Lane     
NovaSeq X (10B) Flow Cell      
Estimated sequencing cost                      $

Note: The flow cell closest to a whole number (i.e., 1, 2, 3,...) is the best match for the sequencing project.

Assumptions used in calculations:

  • NovaSeq X (10B) Lane         = 1.25 billion paired reads
  • NovaSeq X (10B) Flow Cell = 10 billion paired reads