Plasmid map maker
Maintained by the Talindrew team · Last updated
A plasmid map maker turns a DNA sequence into an annotated map: features drawn as arrows around a circle, with their labels and the restriction enzyme cut sites placed at their coordinates. In Talindrew you open a GenBank, FASTA or SnapGene .dna file, or paste a sequence, and the same construct appears in three views that stay in sync as you edit: the circular plasmid map, a linear map with translation strips, and the bases with the complement strand. The map exports as SVG or PNG for a figure, and the print preview lays the map, sequence and feature tables out on pages that save as PDF or Word.
Specifications
| Views | Circular plasmid map, linear map with translation strips, and the sequence with its complement strand, kept in sync |
|---|---|
| On the map | Annotated features with labels, and restriction enzyme cut sites |
| Files in | GenBank, FASTA and SnapGene .dna, with a .dna file's features, primers and cloning history |
| Image export | SVG (scales for posters and papers) and PNG |
| Documents | Print preview with page setup; save as PDF or Word |
| Sequence export | GenBank and FASTA |
| Price | Free account; runs in the browser, nothing to install |
How do I make a plasmid map?
Start from the sequence you already have. The map is drawn from the sequence and its feature annotations, so a GenBank or SnapGene file with features gives a finished map straight away, and a bare FASTA gives you the backbone to annotate.
- Open a GenBank, FASTA or SnapGene .dna file, or paste the sequence.
- Check the circular map: features appear as labelled arrows with the restriction cut sites around the ring.
- Edit or add features in the sequence view; the circular and linear maps update with every change.
- Export the map as SVG or PNG, or open the print preview to save pages as PDF or Word.
SVG or PNG: which export for a figure?
Choose SVG when the map goes into a paper, poster or anything that will be resized, because it is vector graphics and stays sharp at any size and can be restyled in an illustration program. Choose PNG for slides, chat and documents that expect a fixed-size image. When you need the map together with the sequence and feature tables, use the print preview and save the pages as PDF or Word instead.
From a map to a construct
A map is usually the first step of a cloning plan, not the last. The same sequence opens in Talindrew's cloning wizards and in the cloning workspace, where digests, PCR and Gibson or Golden Gate assemblies produce new maps for every product, so the figure you export is always the construct you actually designed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the plasmid map maker free?
Yes. Making, editing and exporting plasmid maps is part of the free Talindrew workbench. It runs in the browser with a free account, so there is nothing to install and no licence server.
Can I open a SnapGene .dna file and get its map?
Yes. Talindrew reads SnapGene .dna files with their features, primers and cloning history, and draws the circular and linear maps from them. It exports GenBank and FASTA rather than writing .dna back out.
Which formats can I export a plasmid map to?
The map exports as SVG or PNG. The print preview lays out the map with the sequence and feature tables on pages you can save as PDF or Word, and the sequence itself exports as GenBank or FASTA.
Related
Try it on your own sequence.
Free to use. No download required. Works in any modern browser.