Plasmids are autonomously replicating extra-chromosomal circular DNA molecules, distinct from the normal bacterial genome and nonessential for cell survival under nonselective conditions. Plasmid processor is a simple tool for plasmid presentation for scientific & educational purposes. It features both circular and linear DNA, user defined restriction sites, genes & multiple cloning sites. In addition, you can manipulate plasmids by inserting and deleting fragments. Created drawings can be copied to clipboard or saved to disk for later use. Printing from within the program is also supported. To a molecular biologist, the plasmid map is as valuable as a road map is to a world traveler. Plasmid maps are key for identifying all the restriction sites, gene orientations, selective markers, promoters and other genetic miscellany that make it possible to sequence, clone genes, design new vectors or express novel proteins.

Plasmid map generation is one of the oldest and most frequently performed operations in bioinformatics. Indeed, probably almost every practicing molecular biologist has worked with or generated a plasmid map to guide them through the cloning or plasmid manipulation process. Because of the size and complexity of plasmid molecules, computer-generated maps are absolutely essential to identify, locate & analyze key regions in a vector sequence. As early as the 1980s standalone computer programs were being described that supported the presentation and manipulation of plasmid maps on specific platforms & computer operating systems. Many of these early freeware packages have since been replaced by more sophisticated and far more user-friendly commercial packages, such as SimVector (Premier BioSoft), GeneTool (BioTools), VectorNTI (Informax, Invitrogen), MacVector (Accelrys), DNA Strider & LaserGene (DNAStar). Currently there are remarkably few freeware plasmid mapping programs still available, although pDRAW32 (AcaClone) is one example of an installable standalone package that supports plasmid mapping.