Vectoreditorjs: An Open-Source Web-Based Javascript Application for DNA Sequence Visualization, Annotation, and Editing

VectorEditorjs is a web-based application for the visualization, annotation, and editing of DNA sequences. It offers additional features typical of DNA sequence editors, including virtual restriction enzyme digest gel-electrophoresis, melting temperature calculation, and support for (and inter-conversion between) several DNA sequence data exchange format standards (including FASTA, Genbank, and SBOL). Starting with a legacy Adobe Flash implementation of VectorEditor, we have rewritten VectorEditorjs from scratch using a modern javascript application framework (React/Cerebral/Baobab), ensuring VectorEditorjs's longevity and enabling its maintenance and continuous development. Additional benefits of the new VectorEditorjs implementation include touchscreen-friendly features and accessibility for mobile device users, which are increasingly relevant as researchers begin to more commonly use tablets in the wet lab for experiment protocol display and notetaking. The VectorEditorjs codebase remains freely available as an open source project (under a liberal BSD license), and any user can customize the interface for their own organization's needs, use VectorEditorjs as a standalone tool, or embed it into other web applications.