The ΔΔCt Method Explained
The ΔΔCt method normalizes gene expression in two steps:
1. ΔCt = Ct(target gene) − Ct(reference gene) — normalizes for RNA input 2. ΔΔCt = ΔCt(treatment) − mean(ΔCt(control)) — normalizes to baseline 3. Fold Change = 2^(−ΔΔCt) — converts to linear scale
The method assumes equal amplification efficiency (~100%) for all genes. When this assumption is violated, use the Pfaffl efficiency-corrected method.