Free AI-Assisted

Serial Dilution Calculator

Plan pipette-ready serial dilutions with 96/384-well plate maps—rounded to your pipettes, no account. Built-in AI agent assistant support.

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Key facts

Key facts about Serial Dilution Calculator
FactValue
InputsStock and target concentration (or dilution factor per step), steps (1–50), final volume (µL), optional molecular weight
Concentration unitsM, mM, µM, nM, mg/mL, µg/µL, ng/µL, %, U/mL, mU/mL, µU/mL
OutputsStep-by-step protocol with transfer, diluent, pipette, Log10, achieved concentration
Plate formats96-well and 384-well; row or column orientation; CSV and PNG export
PipettesP2, P10, P20, P200, P1000 — configurable min, max, and step; stored in browser
Runs in browserYes — no install
Account requiredNo
Data uploadNone — calculations run locally in the browser

What it does

Manual serial dilution math compounds errors—one wrong fold or transposed digit skews every downstream tube, and generic calculators return microliter values that do not match pipette dials. The Serial Dilution Calculator converts stock concentration, target (or fold-dilution per step), step count, and final tube volume into a pipette-ready protocol with rounded transfers, pipette picks, and diluent volumes—updated live as you edit.

Enter stock concentration in molar, mass-per-volume, percent, or enzyme activity units. Toggle Target conc or Dilution factor; set Steps (1–50) and Final volume (µL). Open Volume helper to size tubes from per-well volume × replicates with a 10% dead-volume buffer. Click the pipette gear icon to enable P2–P1000; turn on Economy mode (minimize volume) when reagent is scarce.

The Protocol table shows target concentration, Log10, achieved concentration, transfer volume, pipette, diluent, and inline warnings. Extreme ratios (>1000× per step) auto-expand the step count. Copy the table, open Plate map for 96- or 384-well layout, Share link for a permalink, Print / PDF, or Bench mode for large check-off steps at the hood.

Why researchers use it

  • Avoid serial dilution math errors across tubes
  • Get transfer volumes rounded to pipette steps
  • Map dilution steps to 96/384-well plates
  • Export Log10 values for dose-response curves
  • Share exact protocols via permalink with colleagues
  • Use less reagent when samples are scarce

Best for

  • Dose-response and IC50/EC50 plate setup
  • Standard curve preparation for ELISA or absorbance
  • qPCR template or standard dilution series
  • Antibody, protein, or enzyme activity dilutions
  • Workflows where errors compound across tubes

When to use this vs alternatives

Choose this tool when pipette-aware volumes, a plate layout, and a shareable step-by-step protocol must live in one browser session. Use the Molarity Solution Calculator when weighing powder, correcting hydrate or purity, or estimating a quick serial table before detailed pipette planning. Spreadsheets and vendor one-step calculators still fit a single dilution or a template you already trust. LabCalcPro suits iOS users who want bench mode on a phone but do not need a web plate map.

What makes it different

Most alternatives solve one piece—C1V1 math, pipette rounding, or plate layout—but not all three in a shareable web workflow. Generic web calculators and spreadsheets return exact microliter values that do not match pipette dials, so you round by hand and risk error. LabCalcPro rounds to pipettes on iOS but offers no web plate map.

This browser serial dilution calculator combines pipette-aware transfers, 96- and 384-well layout with CSV or PNG export, Log10 for IC50 plotting, and a shareable link—no install or account. Researchers switch when hand-rounded volumes cause repeat experiments, plate wells are transcribed from a separate calculator, or protocols cannot be shared as an exact link. Bench mode gives large check-off steps at the hood; economy mode trims volume when reagents are costly.

How to get started

  1. Open the workspace and stay on the Calculator tab.
  2. Enter Stock concentration and unit; toggle Target conc or Dilution factor and fill the matching field.
  3. Set Steps and Final volume (µL); open Volume helper if you need per-well sizing.
  4. Click the pipette gear icon to enable your pipettes; toggle Economy mode (minimize volume) if needed.
  5. Review the live Protocol table and inline warnings.
  6. Click Copy protocol, Share link, Print / PDF, Plate map (set Format and Orientation, then Export CSV or Export PNG), or Bench mode.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate serial dilution volumes?
Enter stock concentration, target concentration (or dilution factor per step), number of steps, and final volume per tube. The calculator applies C₁V₁=C₂V₂ at each step: transfer volume equals target concentration times final volume divided by source concentration, with diluent making up the remainder. Volumes round to your selected pipette resolution, and steps below the pipette minimum are flagged with warnings.
What is a serial dilution factor?
A serial dilution factor is the fold-change between consecutive tubes—for example, 10-fold means each step is one-tenth the concentration of the previous tube. Choose Dilution factor mode and enter the per-step factor (e.g. 10); the tool derives the final target concentration from your stock and step count. In Target conc mode, the implied fold per step appears below the inputs.
Can I map a serial dilution to a 96-well or 384-well plate?
Yes. After the protocol generates, open Plate map, choose 96-well or 384-well, and set By row or By column orientation. Wells fill in dilution order with a concentration legend. Export CSV for analysis software or PNG for your lab notebook. Replicates for plate layout follow the Volume helper replicate count on the Calculator tab.
What happens if a transfer volume is below my pipette minimum?
The protocol flags the step with a warning and rounds to the nearest achievable pipette step. Enable a smaller pipette via the gear icon, increase Final volume (µL), or add steps so the per-step dilution ratio stays within pipette range. Use Economy mode (minimize volume) only when conserving reagent—not when you need larger transfers.
Why does the protocol include a Log10 column?
Log10 of concentration (M for molar and mass units, U/mL for enzyme activity) is the standard x-axis scale for dose-response and IC50 plots. The Log10 column appears in the protocol table, Copy protocol output, and plate-map CSV so you can paste directly into graphing software without recalculating.
Do I need an account to save or share a protocol?
No. Share link encodes the full calculation state in the URL hash—copy and send it to a colleague or paste it into your ELN. Print / PDF uses your browser print dialog for a paper or PDF record. Pipette settings persist in your browser via localStorage; the calculation itself requires no upload.

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Last updated . Pepkio builds free lab calculators alongside bioinformatics CRO services.