October 29, 2024, Madison, WI

DNASTAR has announced the release of Lasergene 18, a major software update to their popular Lasergene package. This highly anticipated release introduces significant new features for genomics research. One of the key improvements is the update to GenVision Pro, a comprehensive genome browser in the Lasergene Genomics package. GenVision Pro now has the unique capability to visualize and analyze genomic data across multiple samples, setting it apart from standard genome browsers.

Lasergene Genomics now features a diploid phasing algorithm for analyzing long-read data sets as large as the complete human genome, allowing users to easily identify maternal and paternal haploid sequences for a gene of interest. Additionally, comprehensive variant analysis has been integrated into GenVision Pro, providing a powerful and intuitive interface for advanced variant filtering, specialized displays for phased variants, and the ability to create and compare custom SNP sets.

Other genomics-related improvements include a new Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) workflow, a specialized version of the RNA-Seq differential expression workflow that focuses on groups of genes sharing commonalities, such as regulation, chromosomal location, or biological function.

Lasergene 18 also addresses many customer requests, including the ability to create secure local sequence databases for local BLAST searches, support for Golden Gate virtual cloning, and access to the IQ Tree algorithm for constructing phylogenetic trees.

A full list of enhancements and updates can be found in the Lasergene 18 release notes.

Matthew Keyser, Senior Product Manager at DNASTAR, said, “I’m very excited about the Lasergene 18 release and its expanded genomics offering. GenVision Pro has transformed into an essential tool for multi-sample variant analysis. We’ve also introduced excellent new support for long-read sequence data, a new alignment algorithm, a new haplotype phasing algorithm, and precise structural variation detection, all of which address the current market needs. I believe our customers will find v18 to be well worth the wait!”

About DNASTAR
DNASTAR, Inc. is a global bioinformatics software company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin USA that has been pioneering innovative software solutions since 1984. DNASTAR Lasergene supports molecular biologists, geneticists, and structural biologists in meeting virtually all their DNA, RNA, and protein sequence needs with easy-to-use, affordable, flexible computer software.

Contact
Anne Stover
Director of Marketing
DNASTAR, Inc.
Telephone: 608-237-3086
U.S. Toll Free: 866-511-5090
stovera@dnastar.com