DH5α competent E. coli is one of the most common laboratory strains. We offer several versatile strains for general cloning applications within a variety of transformation efficiencies and formats to suit your workflow and budget.
Why is DH5α good for cloning?
DH5α is a popular E. coli strain for routine cloning due to several key features:
- Blue/white screening with lacZ∆M15
- High insert stability due to recA1 mutation
- High yield and quality of DNA due to endA mutation
- High transformation efficiency (Figure 1)
Click image to enlarge
Figure 1. Comparing transformation efficiencies of DH5α competent E. coli with NEB 5-alpha 5α and Zymo 5a in similar product configurations. Transformation efficiency was measured by performing triplicate transformations, using 10 pg pUC19 DNA, according to manufacturer’s recommended protocol. Each transformation was plated in duplicate.
E. coli DH5α competent cell strains
DH5α competent cells for routine cloning
DH5α is one of the most common laboratory E. coli strains utilized for small plasmid propagation and is selected for its ability to achieve high transformation efficiency. Usually, this strain is transformed using the calcium chloride (CaCl2) method; specially designed strain derivatives like DH5α-E can be transformed using electroporation.
| Subcloning Efficiency™ DH5α Competent Cells | Library Efficiency DH5α Competent Cells | MAX Efficiency DH5α Competent Cells | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | |
| Best for |
|
|
|
| Type of transformation | Chemical | Chemical | Chemical |
| Transformation efficiency | >1 x 106 cfu/µg | >1 x 108 cfu/µg | >1 x 109 cfu/µg |
| Available formats |
E. coli DH5α-T1R competent cell strains
DH5α-T1R cells have the benefit of the tonA (fhuA) genotype for T1, T5, and φ80 phage resistance, with the same genetic markers and growth properties as the original strain.
| MAX Efficiency DH5α-T1R Competent Cells | MultiShot DH5α T1R Competent Cells | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Best for |
|
|
| Type of transformation | Chemical | Chemical |
| Transformation efficiency | >1 × 109 cfu/µg | >1 x 108 cfu/µg |
| Available formats |
DH5α competent cells for specialized cloning applications
| MAX Efficiency DH5αF´IQ Competent Cells | ElectroMAX DH5α-E Competent Cells | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
| Best for |
|
|
| Type of transformation | Chemical | Electroporation |
| Transformation efficiency | >3 x 108 cfu/µg | >1 x 1010 cfu/µg |
| Available formats |
DH5α competent cells for routine cloning
DH5α is one of the most common laboratory E. coli strains utilized for small plasmid propagation and is selected for its ability to achieve high transformation efficiency. Usually, this strain is transformed using the calcium chloride (CaCl2) method; specially designed strain derivatives like DH5α-E can be transformed using electroporation.
| Subcloning Efficiency™ DH5α Competent Cells | Library Efficiency DH5α Competent Cells | MAX Efficiency DH5α Competent Cells | |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Best for |
|
|
|
| Type of transformation | Chemical | Chemical | Chemical |
| Transformation efficiency | >1 x 106 cfu/µg | >1 x 108 cfu/µg | >1 x 109 cfu/µg |
| Available formats |
E. coli DH5α-T1R competent cell strains
DH5α-T1R cells have the benefit of the tonA (fhuA) genotype for T1, T5, and φ80 phage resistance, with the same genetic markers and growth properties as the original strain.
| MAX Efficiency DH5α-T1R Competent Cells | MultiShot DH5α T1R Competent Cells | |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Best for |
|
|
| Type of transformation | Chemical | Chemical |
| Transformation efficiency | >1 × 109 cfu/µg | >1 x 108 cfu/µg |
| Available formats |
DH5α competent cells for specialized cloning applications
| MAX Efficiency DH5αF´IQ Competent Cells | ElectroMAX DH5α-E Competent Cells | |
|---|---|---|
| | |
| Best for |
|
|
| Type of transformation | Chemical | Electroporation |
| Transformation efficiency | >3 x 108 cfu/µg | >1 x 1010 cfu/µg |
| Available formats |
Competent cells: Featured products
In addition to competent cells, we offer a broad suite of products for the cloning workflow.
Microbial
media
Explore types of bacterial growth media to use for cloning, plasmid DNA preparation, and protein expression.
Electroporation
cuvettes
Learn more about universal-fit electroporation cuvettes for use with competent cells.
TOPO PCR
cloning kits
Learn more about one-step PCR cloning that combines traditional restriction and ligation cloning.
Gibson Assembly
cloning kits
Gibson Assembly cloning kits provide highly efficient, seamless cloning, enabling the assembly of multiple DNA fragments of varying lengths into any vector.
Resources
Have any questions on competent cells or transformation? Click on the resources listed below to access overviews, videos, genotype guides, and educational resources.
Review rich educational content on transformation workflow, troubleshooting, strategies, and selection guides.
Stay up-to-date on industry trends in molecular cloning with on-demand webinars.
Short articles and digital handbook for cloning applications
Access white papers and technical and application notes on molecular cloning.
Watch instructional videos on troubleshooting tips, how-to videos, and explainers related to molecular cloning.
Get support for your cloning experiments
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
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