DNA Quality Control & Traceability App

An intuitive R Shiny application that automates Nanodrop data analysis, seamlessly pairing pre- and post-purification results while exporting lab-ready, conditionally formatted Excel reports.

The Problem: The Chaos of Nanodrop Data

Evaluating DNA purity after extraction can quickly become a logistical headache. You run dozens of samples on the Nanodrop, copy and paste the raw data into Excel, and then manually review the 260/280 and 260/230 ratios to decide which samples require cleanup.

The real trouble begins during phase 2: once you apply a purification method (such as SPRI beads or a Zymo cleanup kit), you must re-quantify the samples. Manually cross-referencing and pairing the new data with the initial readings to determine whether a sample has been successfully rescued or must be permanently discarded is a time-consuming, error-prone process. Furthermore, maintaining flawless traceability of extraction kits and purification methods across multiple batches is incredibly difficult.

The Solution

I developed the DNA Quality Control & Traceability App to completely automate this workflow.

This R Shiny application ingests raw .csv or .txt files directly exported from your spectrophotometer, applies your custom quality thresholds, and automatically pairs initial and post-purification datasets. It provides a crystal-clear, automated diagnostic status for every single sample.

Key Features

• Automated Quality Assessment: Set your own minimum and maximum thresholds for 260/280 and 260/230 ratios. The app instantly classifies samples into APPROVED, PENDING PURIFICATION, or DISCARDED.
• Full Traceability: Track sample types, initial extraction kits (e.g., Qiagen PowerSoil), and the specific purification method used. The algorithm intelligently matches cleaned samples by looking for the _cl suffix in the Sample ID.
• Dynamic, Visual Management: Monitor your workflow across separate, interactive data tables: a global overview, a dedicated workspace for samples needing purification, and a log of permanently discarded samples.
• Lab-Ready Excel Export: Download a multi-sheet .xlsx report with a single click. It features an embedded data dictionary and automatic conditional formatting (color-coded by sample status), making it completely ready for your digital lab notebook or quality control records.

🚀 Live Application

You can interact with the live tool directly below, or open it in a new window.