SnapGene was born of frustration. Ben Glick, a cell biologist and experienced cloner, realized that a huge amount of effort is wasted because researchers make avoidable mistakes when planning their cloning procedures, and because records of cloning procedures are incomplete. In the 21st century, many molecular biologists still don't know the full properties of the DNA molecules they are using.

This problem has a solution: good software. If molecular biology software were easier to use than pen and paper, researchers would naturally plan their cloning procedures with computers, and electronic records could be automatically produced. To achieve this goal, a group of scientists, software engineers, usability experts, and product developers assembled to form GSL Biotech. Our company won Phase I and II SBIR grants from the NIH to develop SnapGene. Working with labs around the world, we created software to meet the everyday needs of molecular biologists. Each enhancement has generated new ideas, and SnapGene is still in active development.

1. Software should be easy to use, and should help you achieve your goals as quickly and painlessly as possible.
   We are students and practitioners of "human-computer interaction". This approach has enabled us to design a software interface that acts as an extension of the user's mind.
2. Software for everyday tasks should be priced so that a lab can provide a copy to each researcher.
   When molecular biology software is so expensive that a lab can afford only one or two licenses, the benefits are limited. For this reason, SnapGene academic licenses are steeply discounted for multi-license packs. We also offer special pricing to accommodate labs with different financial resources.
3. You own your data! Scientists should be able to read and share files without restriction.
   We provide a free SnapGene Viewer so that anyone can view the full contents of a SnapGene file. In addition, SnapGene and SnapGene Viewer open many common file formats.

• Every DNA construct in a lab will be fully documented.
• Publications will include complete annotated sequences and histories of every DNA construct used.
• Time and money will be saved, and biomedical research will move faster.