Designer Genes

Looking to put a little life into your computing? Try The Gene Construction Kit. It lets you represent DNA sequences graphically or as text, allowing you to cut and paste segments in either mode. The Chronography features helps you track each segment's history and examine any generation. The program was developed over a three-year period by Robert Gross, a professor of biology at Dartmouth College.

The Gene Construction Kit is available to academic users for $495 from Textco, 27 Gilson Road, West Lebanon, New Hampshire 03784; (603) 643-1471. Aspiring Dr. Frankensteins can purchase a two-disk demo for just $5.