Trace2PS and FSA2PS: two software toolkits for converting trace and fsa files to PostScript format

We have developed the software toolkits Trace2PS and Fsa2PS which allow to convert sequence and fragment analysis raw data files to PostScript images, respectively. The toolkits are implemented as Perl modules that can be used as standalone command line applications in conjunction with a script-based analysis pipeline, or integrated in software applications for displaying the data content of trace and fsa files. The converter modules support the commonly used file formats for storage of sequencing (ABI and SCF) and fragment analysis data (FSA).The software toolkits provide useful applications to convert sequencing and fragment analysis files from a proprietary into a more common, human-readable format. Trace2PS and FSA2PS are useful and capable in data management workflow systems like SAMS, or laboratory information systems that are used for displaying trace and fragment analysis results via web-based tools over an intranet or internet connection to users that can view their results directly on the screen.DNA sequencing techniques have emerged to fast and customized analysis methods. Nowadays, DNA sequencers permit cheap large-scale genome sequencing producing vast amounts of data within a very short time [1]. Besides DNA sequencing, DNA fragments analysis is another indispensable high-throughput technology for basic research in molecular biology laboratories. Fragment analysis is used for genotyping and to investigate genetic diversity as done by Woodhead et al. [2] to reveal genetic differences between Arabidopsis lyrata and Arabidopsis thaliana by microsatellite development. Current analysis instruments like the Applied Biosystems 3730 × l DNA Analyzer can run up to 96 fragment analysis samples in parallel in a period of a few hours.Because of the huge amount of data produced by the present generation of sequencers and analyzers, the resulting data is processed and stored using efficient data management systems, even if single reads or fragment analysis are to be