Open a sequence from an online database

*Note: If you intend to use the enhanced functionality of SeqBuilder Pro for sequence analysis, you should import the online database sequences there. This saves several steps compared to opening them in GeneQuest and then exporting them to SeqBuilder Pro. The search and import functionality is identical in both applications.

GeneQuest’s Net Search menu allows you to search online databases (e.g., the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s BLAST and Entrez servers), for sequences that match all or part of the current sequence. Once a match has been located, you may add it to the current project or save it for use in other Lasergene applications.

When you perform BLAST or Entrez searches using a Lasergene application, you can enter your choice of sequences from the match list directly to the Lasergene application; the application will also automatically save copies of each file in Lasergene format. You may also use an accession number to directly download sequence data from NCBI and automatically open it in the Lasergene application.

See the following topics for detailed instructions:

• Open an Entrez database file by locus name or accession number

• Open an Entrez database file using a text search

• Open a BLAST database file using a similarity search

*At the time of each Lasergene release, the GeneQuest Preferences dialog contains current URLs for searching NCBI’s BLAST and Entrez databases. If NCBI changes URLs at a later date, you will need to update the Preferences dialog as instructed in Specify URLs for BLAST and Entrez searches.