A POCKET DATABASE FOR CLONING

A system of programs is presented that turns the HP 48SX calculator in to a pocket database for molecular biology with a library of restricti on enzymes and plasmids. The operations of the calculator are extended to handle DNA and peptide sequences much like numbers. The software p rovides a comprehensive system for cloning and includes functions for cutting and ligation, DNA-peptide translation and its reverse, DNA pro be design, and codon usage statistics. Since the calculator comes with built-in Kermit(TM) protocol, serial port, infrared interface, and se quences are in ASCII code, users can communicate sequences bench-to-be nch to other calculators or upload and download them with IBM(R) PC co mpatible and Macintosh(R) computers.