Chemical synthesis of custom DNA made on order calls for software streamlining the design of synthetic DNA sequences. GenoCAD can be used to design protein expression vectors, artificial gene networks, and other genetic constructs composed of multiple functional blocks called genetic parts. By capturing design strategies in grammatical models of DNA sequences, GenoCAD guides the user through the design process. By successively clicking on icons representing structural features or actual genetic parts, complex constructs composed of dozens of functional blocks can be designed in a matter of minutes. GenoCAD automatically derives the construct sequence from its comprehensive libraries of genetic parts. Upon completion of the design process, users can download the sequence for synthesis or further analysis. GenoCAD users who elect to create a personal account on the system can customize their workspace by creating their own parts libraries, adding new parts to the libraries, or reusing designs to quickly generate sets of related constructs.
GenoCAD is developped by the Synthetic Biology group at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute. More information about the group can be found on the synthetic biology group home page
GenoCAD benefits from the guidance of an External Advisory Board comprised of the following scientists:
Chris Anderson, University of California Berkeley
Brian Bramlett, Intel
Malcolm Campbell, Davidson College
Jacques Cohen, Brandeis University
Otto Folkerts, Virginia Bioinformatics Institute
Claes Gustafsson, DNA2.0
Sara Klucking, Department of Homeland Security
Ron Weiss, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Quickly learn to design a construct with the step by step tutorial. Click here....
Cai Y, Hartnett B, Gustafsson C, Peccoud J (2007) A syntactic model to design and verify synthetic genetic constructs derived from standard biological parts. Bioinformatics 23(20): 2760-2767. [PubMed ID: 17804435]
Peccoud J, Blauvelt MF, Cai Y, Cooper KL, Crasta O, DeLalla EC, Evans C, Folkerts O, Lyons BM, Mane SP, Shelton R, Sweede MA, Waldon SA. (2008) Targeted development of registries of biological parts PLoS ONE 3(7):e2671. [PubMed ID: 18628824]
Goler JA, Bramlett BW, Peccoud J. (2008) Genetic design: rising above the sequence. Trends in Biotechnology 26(10):538-44. [PubMed ID: 18687496]
Czar MJ, Anderson JC, Bader JS, Peccoud J. (2009) Gene synthesis demystified. Trends in Biotechnology 27(2):63-72. [PubMed ID: 19111926]
Czar MJ, Cai Y, Peccoud J. (2009) Writing DNA with GenoCAD Nucleic Acids Research 37:W40-7. [PubMed ID: 19429897]
Cai Y, Lux MW, Adam L, Peccoud J. (2009) Modeling structure-function relationships in synthetic DNA sequences using attribute grammars PLoS Comput Biol 5(10):e1000529 [PubMed ID: 19111926]
Use the ticketing system available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/genocad/support to submit your technical support requests or suggest new features.
GenoCAD is distributed open source using the Apache Version 2.0 License. This license has been approved by the Open Source Initiative.
The GenoCAD source code is hosted on SourceForge https://sourceforge.net/projects/genocad/develop.
