GCK 4.0 Offers New Automated Routines that will Save Biologists’ Time
West Lebanon, NH - 10|16|2012
Textco BioSoftware, Inc. today announced the release of Gene Construction Kit® 4.0, an upgraded version of the award-winning DNA plasmid mapping and analysis software (GCK). For more than 20 years, GCK has been the cloning tool of choice for tens of thousands of scientists worldwide. This version of GCK features many unique and time-saving enhancements, all designed to make analyzing, formatting, and annotating GCK constructs more automated and efficient.
GCK 4.0 introduces a new AutoFeature File, which allows users to store common DNA sequences (genes, promoters, enhancers, etc.), along with their preferred graphic formatting (font, color, size, line type). Using an AutoFeature File as a reference, users can now automatically have GCK 4.0 ‘find and format’ sequence matches in new constructs. Users can also save, and then use multiple AutoFeature Files to represent the different sequence features that may be important in various projects or organisms.
Robert H. Gross, Ph.D., President and co-founder of Textco BioSoftware is excited about the new functionality, “Being able to automatically find and format common features across various construct files should save a lot of time in planning and documenting projects. Having common graphic formats can create consistency among different users in the lab – and cut down on time spent reformatting files to match pre-existing layouts.”
Dr. Gross also sees the new file format as a collaboration tool, and is optimistic that as users create their own AutoFeature files for different projects, the files might be shared with other users in the GCK community. He went on to say:
“By giving the user the ability to create and save their own customized AutoFeature Files – based upon their project or organism – we allow them to tailor the application to their needs, rather than forcing them to work within the pre-defined constraints of the program. We hope users will help us to create a collection of files – specific for different species or functions – that can continue to grow and benefit the entire user group.”
At the request of current GCK customers, version 4.0 features a redesigned Find Sequence search engine that allows for much longer search strings (up to 32,000 chars), and includes support for searching DNA with mismatches. The unique search routine allows users to define the precise allowed position for mismatches by utilizing case-sensitive search (i.e. upper case characters are conserved, lower case can vary), and supports ambiguous DNA character strings for greater control.
Other time-saving additions to GCK 4.0 include a quick way to Go to Positions (single bases, or ranges) and the ability to Copy and Paste Graphic Styles both within an individual map, and between multiple GCK construct documents. No longer will a user need to remember the font, size, fill pattern or line characteristic of a feature or segment so that they may recreate that style somewhere else. Copy / Paste Style functions similarly to the Mac OS standard (seen in TextEdit or Pages), or the Format Painter (seen in MS Word on Windows), and gives users a convenient way to quickly replicate graphic styles. To assist with collaborations, GCK 4.0 adds support for exporting GCK construct documents as GenBank formatted text files to allow for easier interactions with colleagues using other applications.
All GCK 4.0 users will now benefit from access to the Database Search tool for DNA, Protein and Keyword searches of multiple online databases. From within GCK, users can enter the query string once, specify the databases to search (KEGG, EntrezGene, PDB, PFAM, etc.) and submit a single search to all of them, with one click of the mouse. GCK takes care of formatting the query correctly for each database and then return all results together in the users preferred Internet browser.
With the launch of GCK 4.0, Textco BioSoftware is offering special ‘Introductory Discount Pricing‘ for both new GCK licenses and upgrades.
Gene Construction Kit 4.0 is supported under Mac OS 10.6 and higher (including Lion & Mountain Lion); as well as Windows 8, 7, XP & Vista, and should save researchers significant time and money.
Contact Textco BioSoftware for more information. A free demo version of Gene Construction Kit 4.0 is available.
Contact for Sales/Marketing:
Brant Hackett; 480-241-9121
Roberta Brucks Gross; 603-643-1471
About Textco BioSoftware
Textco BioSoftware (formerly Textco, Inc.), has been developing high quality productivity tools for molecular biologists for over 25 years. Our unwavering commitment to customer service, and our focus on quality has generated a loyal customer following. Since 1984, we have provided solutions to scientists who are breaking new ground in genetic engineering, basic biology research, drug development, and biotechnology – at academic, government, and corporate institutions in more than 50 countries worldwide.