KaryotypeLab was created for an introductory college genetics course. Students can load in their own scanned image of a "chromosome squash" or choose from a variety of sample images. Using the scissors tool, chromosomes can be "cut out" of the image and dragged into the "rotate and measure" window. The chromosomes are then rotated to an upright position and measured using the measuring tool. After measurement, chromosomes are pasted into the NEXTSTEP Draw application which is included with the operating system. In Draw, chromosomes can be paired and labelled to produce a karyotype. Chromosomes can also be dragged or copied and pasted into other applications. A calibration tool is available for determining the exact magnification of a chromosome squash using the scanned image from a micrometer slide. KaryotypeLab was written by Dr. Robert Desharnais and student programmer Roy Morita.
