PlasmidLab / Guides

How to View a Plasmid Map from a GenBank or .dna File

A plasmid map shows the layout of a DNA construct at a glance. In PlasmidLab, open a GenBank or .dna file and inspect the map alongside the sequence.

Circular plasmid map in PlasmidLab with annotated features and restriction sites
PlasmidLab for Mac and Windows.

View your map

  1. Open the file with File > Open, or drop it onto the app window. See the file-opening guide if you need help.
  2. Choose View > Map. PlasmidLab displays circular and linear maps according to the document's topology.
  3. Inspect the annotated features, restriction enzyme sites and primer positions. Select a region on the map to examine a specific part of the sequence.

Check the sequence behind the map

Switch to sequence view to inspect the bases and annotations in more detail. A map is a representation of the file: check that the sequence, features and topology are correct, particularly after importing a file.

Export a map image

Choose File > Export > Map Image… to export an image, or use Edit > Copy Map as Image to copy it. The editor and map tools work without the AI agent.

Need to design a construct? See the Gibson assembly guide.