Create and edit sequence annotations

You can denote regions of interest on DNA and amino acid sequences by adding annotations and editing existing ones. You can also customize their informational fields and display colors, and delete annotations you don’t need.

This article explains how to access the annotations list, bulk edit annotations, add custom fields, and create, edit, and delete annotations. 

Access the annotations list

Create, view, edit, and delete annotations in the Features panel and its expanded view. To access the Features panel, click the flag icon in the right-side menu.

You can view all the annotations on a sequence in a larger window by clicking Show Expanded View in the Features panel. This opens a full list of annotations in an Annotations tab where you can more easily view and manage them.

Create annotations

To add annotations to a DNA or amino acid sequence:

1. Highlight the region of interest on the sequence.

2. Open the Features panel or right-click the highlighted region and select Create Annotation.

3. Click Create New at the top of the panel.

4. Enter the annotation name.

5. Click Save.

Edit annotations

To edit existing annotations on a DNA or amino acid sequence:

1. Open the Features panel.

2. Click an annotation to expand it.

3. Edit the name, position, annotation type, color, strand orientation, or custom fields.

4. Click Save.

Bulk edit annotations

To edit multiple annotations:

1. Open the Features panel and click Show Expanded View.

2. Select the annotations to edit, then click the pencil icon in the top-right corner.

3. In the modal, edit the fields, then click Save.

Add custom fields to annotations

You can make annotations even more useful by adding custom fields. To add custom fields:

1. In the Features panel, click an annotation to expand it.

2. Click + next to Custom fields.

3. Enter the field name to search for a Benchling-generated field or create a new custom field.

4. Click Save.

Delete annotations

You can delete annotations in the expanded view by selecting the annotation(s) and clicking the trash can icon in the top-right corner.

Alternatively, you can right-click an annotation on the sequence and select Delete Annotation.

Change the color of an annotation

To change the color of an annotation:

1. Open the Features panel

2. Click an annotation to expand it.

3. Select a color from the Color drop-down menu.