Instructions

Using this website is easy. Upload a sequence by:

• Clicking the filepicker and uploading a FASTA or GenBank file
• Loading an example file (hint: click the dropdown to view more example sequences!)
• Pasting the contents of a FASTA or GenBank file into the text area

That's it.

Optionally, after plotting a sequence, you can:

• Choose a differnet visualization method to get another view of your data
• Remove files or sequences from the visualization by clicking the icon
• Add files or sequences to the visualization by clicking the icon
• Modify the graph's title by clicking the icon
• Export the content of the graph as an image in .png, .jpeg, or .svg format or as JSON data by clicking on the icon
• Zoom in on a region of interest by clicking and dragging over it, or zoom in and out using the buttons on the graph's toolbar in the upper right side. Reset the zoom by double-clicking on the graph or clicking the "home" icon in upper right side.

When you plot your data using this website, there are a few things to remember. By default, each DNA sequence you wish to display will be rendered in a different color unless there are more sequences than there are available colors, in which case each file will be shown in its own color. This may be overridden at any time using the "legend mode" selector that becomes visible after plotting.

For each sequence, the website can display a maximum of 175 Mbp. While there is no hard limit on the total number of sequences which can be displayed simultaneously, a maximum of 525 Mbp can be uploaded at once.

On the "visualization method" click-box, you choose how to display your data using the five different display methods currently supported. As you look at an output graph with several overlaid sequences, you will see that when the sequences completely mirror one another, that the sequences are essentially identical. When you see the plot lines begin to diverge, you will instantly be able to see where the sequences have begun to differ. You can zoom in for a closer view, then reset the zoom to enable a return the original (unzoomed) view. With the Squiggle and Yau methods, when the sequences are parallel on the plot, that tells you that the sequences are once again identical after a period of divergence.

Try visualizing your data with each of the visualization techniques; each method shows your data from a slightly different perspective, but be aware of each method’s strengths or weaknesses so that you use the right tool for the right job. When you finish using the site, you can output your data using the png, .jpeg, .svg, or as JSON data, formats in a publication-ready graph.