Use this free online ORF finder and DNA to protein translator to inspect six reading frames, identify possible open reading frames, translate DNA, or reverse-translate protein into possible coding DNA. A long ORF alone does not establish expression.
Useful Checks
Use the checked coding region with Primer Designer when you need PCR primers around an ORF or insert.
Use ORF results with Codon Optimizer when moving from a DNA coding sequence to expression planning.
Minimum Inputs Needed
For ORF finder: DNA sequence.
For quick translate: DNA or protein sequence, depending on the selected input type.
Optional Settings
Tool mode
Choose ORF finder for full analysis. Choose Quick translate for a fast conversion.
Frame view
Analyze all six frames or only one selected frame.
Minimum ORF length, aa
Hides very short ORFs.
Max ORFs shown
Keeps large results readable.
ORF table order
Changes how ORFs are sorted in the table.
Protein line wrap
Controls how protein sequences are wrapped.
Search region
Analyze the full sequence or only a selected region.
Include open-ended ORFs
Also show ORFs that do not have a downstream stop codon in the selected sequence.
Quick DNA frame / output
In Quick translate with DNA input, choose DNA frame and DNA translation output to return one selected frame or all six frames.
Quick translate input type
Choose DNA for protein translation or Protein for one possible coding DNA sequence plus a degenerate IUPAC coding sequence.
How To Use
Choose ORF finder or Quick translate.
Paste or upload the sequence.
Adjust frame, region, or ORF length only if needed.
Click Analyze sequence in ORF finder mode or Quick translate in Quick translate mode.
Understanding The Results
Frame summaries show translations and stop codons.
The ORF table shows position, strand, frame, length, and sequence actions.
Protein FASTA provides the translated protein, and ORF filters control the copied ORF outputs.
ORF DNA FASTA gives the coding-strand DNA in 5'->3' direction.
Quick DNA results provide the selected frame or all six translated frames.
Quick protein results provide one possible coding DNA and a degenerate IUPAC coding sequence because reverse translation is not unique.
Accepted Input Formats
Raw DNA, DNA FASTA, or GenBank text with an ORIGIN section for ORF finder and Quick translate DNA input.
Raw protein or protein FASTA for Quick translate protein input.
FASTA headers are ignored. Multiple records are concatenated, so process unrelated records separately to avoid artificial junctions.
U in DNA input is converted to T.
Ambiguous codons may translate as X.
.dna / SnapGene binary files are not supported. Export as FASTA or GenBank.
Assumptions And Limitations
An ORF is a sequence prediction, not proof of expression.
The current ORF finder uses the standard genetic code and exact ATG starts with TAA, TAG, or TGA stops. Ambiguous start or stop codons are not treated as exact starts or stops.
Protein-to-DNA reverse translation is not unique and is not host-specific codon optimization.
Circular DNA is analyzed as linear input; regions crossing base 1 must be supplied as a linearized sequence.
Use biological context before deciding which ORF is real.
The browser tool accepts files smaller than 2 MB, DNA up to 250,000 bases, and protein up to 100,000 amino acids.
Example
Paste a coding sequence, keep all six frames selected, set a minimum ORF length, and copy the likely protein sequence from the ORF table.
Use note: These tools are for research and educational planning. Check important calculations and sequence designs before ordering reagents or running experiments.