This new program from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland, is a timesaver for scientists who craft DNA sequences for genetic engineering or to decipher gene functions. Users key in a protein sequence, and GeneDesign specifies a DNA blueprint that researchers can synthesize themselves or order from a company. GeneDesign lets users customize their creations for a particular vector—a DNA snippet that ferries the sequence into cells—and for the organism they are studying.
