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Photo51

Design plasmids. Build constructs. Collaborate seamlessly.
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Plasmid design and molecular biology software for research teams

Design plasmids, simulate cloning strategies, align sequences, explore genomes and manage shared sequence libraries, without switching between disconnected tools.

Photo51 works alongside or as an alternative to SnapGene and other plasmid editors, with added team collaboration, shared libraries, and both desktop and browser-based access. Because Photo51 is user-linked rather than device-linked, your sequence library is available wherever you work, without manual file transfers.

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Import and organize sequence files

Start working without rebuilding your library

Bring your existing molecular biology files into Photo51 and start working without rebuilding your sequence library from scratch. Import individual files or complete folders from your current plasmid editor, including SnapGene .dna files, GenBank, FASTA, and other common formats, keep your folder structure, and organize DNA sequences, plasmids and project files in a clear workspace.

Photo51 helps research teams move from scattered files on laptops, shared drives and email attachments to a searchable, organized sequence library that everyone on the team can access.

  • ✓Import sequence files and folders from your current plasmid editor
  • ✓Support for SnapGene .dna, GenBank, FASTA and other common formats
  • ✓Keep folder structures when moving files into Photo51
  • ✓Organize plasmids, DNA sequences and project files in one place
  • ✓Preview sequence files before opening them for detailed work
  • ✓Reduce file duplication across personal folders, shared drives and email
Import and organize sequence files
Simulate molecular cloning

Simulate molecular cloning before going to the bench

Plan cloning strategies in-silico

Plan cloning strategies in silico before starting the lab work. Photo51 supports the most common molecular cloning workflows, including restriction cloning, Gibson assembly, TA/TOPO cloning, Gateway cloning, Golden Gate, In-Fusion, and HiFi assembly.

Researchers can select vectors and inserts, check restriction sites, design primers with the required overlaps or added restriction sites, and preview the expected construct before moving into the lab.

  • ✓Simulate restriction cloning with selected enzymes, vectors and inserts
  • ✓Design primers for Gibson assembly and overlap-based cloning
  • ✓Work with common TA and TOPO cloning workflows
  • ✓Plan Gateway, Golden Gate, In-Fusion, and HiFi assembly strategies
  • ✓Check expected construct design before ordering primers or starting experiments

Analyze and align DNA sequences

Inspect, compare and validate

Use Photo51 to inspect, compare, and validate DNA sequences in one workspace. Researchers can view annotations, check open reading frames, compare sequence files, align sequences to a reference and review expected results before continuing with cloning or downstream analysis.

Photo51 includes sequence alignment tools for everyday molecular biology work, helping users check whether constructs, inserts, PCR products, or Sanger sequencing results match what they expect.

  • ✓View annotated sequence maps and linear sequence details
  • ✓Align sequences to a reference sequence
  • ✓Perform local or global pairwise sequence alignment
  • ✓Create consensus alignments from multiple sequences
  • ✓Simulate virtual gels for PCR products or restriction digests
  • ✓Check open reading frames and sequence annotations
Analyze and align DNA sequences
Explore genomes and genomic context

Explore genomes and genomic context

Bridge the gap between genomes and design

Use the Photo51 genome browser to explore genomic regions, inspect genes, and connect genome-level information with your sequence design work. Researchers can browse reference genomes, review regions of interest and import genes or sequence information directly into their working files.

This bridges the gap between genome exploration and practical molecular biology workflows ,including cloning, annotation, CRISPR guide RNA design and construct planning, without switching to a separate genome browser tool.

  • ✓Browse reference genomes in the integrated genome browser
  • ✓Inspect genes, exons, introns and sequence context
  • ✓Import genes or genomic sequence directly into working files
  • ✓Keep genomic context close to your sequence design work

Manage shared plasmid and sequence libraries

Collaborate without confusion

Photo51 is built for molecular biology teams that need to work from the same sequence files. Create shared plasmid libraries for research groups, teaching labs or project teams so sequences are no longer scattered across personal laptops, email threads and disconnected folders.

With shared inventories, version history, and secure file sharing, teams can collaborate on sequence work without the confusion of duplicate files, emailed plasmid maps or out-of-date versions.

  • ✓Create shared sequence libraries for labs, courses or project teams
  • ✓Work from the same plasmid and DNA sequence files across the team
  • ✓Track file changes with version history
  • ✓Share files securely with internal and external collaborators
  • ✓Eliminate confusion from duplicate files and emailed plasmid maps
Manage shared plasmid and sequence libraries
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Frequently Asked Questions

Photo51 covers the core workflows that researchers use SnapGene for — plasmid design, cloning simulation, sequence alignment and annotation — and adds team collaboration features that SnapGene doesn't offer, including shared sequence libraries, version history, and both desktop and browser-based access. Because Photo51 is user-linked rather than device-linked, your files and libraries are available wherever you work, without manual syncing or file transfers. It works well as a standalone tool or alongside SnapGene, depending on your lab's setup.

Yes. Photo51 supports import of SnapGene .dna files, GenBank, FASTA, and other common sequence formats. You can import individual files or entire folders and keep your existing folder structure, so you don't need to rebuild your sequence library from scratch.

Yes, shared libraries or inventories are one of Photo51's core features. Research groups, project teams and teaching labs can work from the same sequence files, with version history to track changes and secure sharing for internal and external collaborators. This replaces the common workaround of emailing plasmid maps or maintaining duplicate files across personal laptops and shared drives.

Photo51 supports restriction cloning, Gibson assembly, TA/TOPO cloning, Gateway cloning, Golden Gate assembly, In-Fusion and HiFi assembly. Researchers can simulate cloning strategies in silico, design primers with the correct overlaps or restriction sites, and preview the expected construct before going to the bench.

Both. Photo51 works as a desktop application and in the browser, and your files and libraries follow you across both, because access is user-linked, not device-linked. That means you can work on your laptop in the lab, continue in the browser on another machine, and share files with collaborators regardless of what they're running. This is an advantage over tools like SnapGene (desktop only) and Benchling (browser only), which lock you into one mode of working.

Yes. Photo51 is used in university courses and professional training programs for molecular biology and cell and gene therapy. Educators can create shared plasmid and sequence inventories for student groups, set up course-specific file collections, and give students access to the same plasmid and DNA sequence files used in practicals.