DNAPlotter: Visualize Your Genome Maps in Seconds
DNAPlotter is a desktop application (part of the Artemis suite) for creating clear, publication-ready circular and linear maps of DNA sequences such as plasmids, bacterial chromosomes, or synthetic constructs.
Key features
- Circular and linear layouts — switch between plasmid-style circles and linear chromosome views.
- Annotaton display — show genes, CDS, promoters, restriction sites, and other features from standard sequence files (GenBank, EMBL).
- Customizable styling — colors, feature labels, font sizes, track order, and ring widths for presentation-quality diagrams.
- Import/export — read common sequence formats and export high-resolution images (PNG, SVG) suitable for figures.
- Interactive editing — drag tracks, toggle feature visibility, and edit annotations before exporting.
- Integration — part of the Artemis family, compatible with other sequence tools for annotation and analysis.
Typical workflow (quick)
- Open your sequence file (GenBank/EMBL/FASTA with annotations).
- Choose circular or linear view.
- Configure tracks: select feature types, colors, label settings, and track order.
- Zoom and pan to adjust layout; edit labels or feature positions if needed.
- Export image in desired format and resolution.
When to use DNAPlotter
- Preparing plasmid maps for methods sections, lab records, or publications.
- Visualizing annotated bacterial genomes or synthetic constructs.
- Quickly generating clear diagrams for presentations or posters.
Limitations
- Desktop-only (no native web app); may require Java and the Artemis environment.
- Not intended for real-time collaborative editing.
- Feature-rich tools may have a learning curve for complex custom layouts.
If you want, I can:
- give step-by-step instructions for a specific file type (GenBank or EMBL),
- provide example settings for publication-quality SVG export, or
- draft a short caption to accompany a figure made with DNAPlotter.
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