Are you interested in illustrating a particular biological pathway, both extra- and intracellularly? Do you want to create an image emphasizing your molecule of interest, including upstream and downstream regulators? Have you become frustrated with the drawing limitations of your current software?
You asked HSLS to provide a resource that allows flexibility with the creation of biological diagrams and we listened. We are pleased to introduce our latest licensed tool, ePath3D. This fantastic online software enables users to create visually appealing and professional looking pathways and diagrams from scratch or via modifiable templates. This tool is available to Pitt users only.
If creating from scratch, users can select pre-generated objects from a menu of categories including: proteins, connectors, membranes and receptors, cells and organelles, organs and organisms, accessory items, and basic shapes. Once you select your item, all you need to do is drag it to the blank canvas, then adjust the scale and location on the page as needed. It’s that easy!
If you prefer to use a template, you can select from a menu of 58 ready-made pathways such as cancer recognition, EGF pathway, circadian rhythm, and Fas signaling. Conveniently, you can rearrange the elements in these templates as well as add or subtract items as you see fit.
ePath3D also allows for more than just drawing, as you can link items on your image to online resources like PubMed or other NCBI databases. That way you can provide references directly in your image! If you choose, you can share your images via social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, StumbleUpon, and Reddit. You can also export to a variety of image formats like JPG, PNG, Transparent PNG, and BMP for online publication, as well as high resolution PDFs for printing in multiple sizes without distortion.
Access to ePath3D requires a Pitt e-mail account and your computer must be connected to the Pitt network. When off campus, you must use Pitt’s EZproxy service. You can register online for ePath3D.
~Carrie Iwema