VectorNTI

Website

Invitrogen's bioinformatics site

Updating your enzyme list

You can update your list of enzymes in VectorNTI by doing the following.

1. ftp ftp.neb.com (username: anonymous, password: your email address)
2. cd pub/rebase (to enter the correct directory)
3. dir (to list the names of available files)
4. get bairoch.### (to copy the file called bairoch.### to your machine)
5. quit (returns you back to your local system)
6. In VectorNTIExplorer, choose the enzyme database
7. Choose Table->Import->Enzymes from REBASE database...
8. Browse to your downloaded file
9. Choose which enzymes to import and into which subbase to put them.
10. Choose to overwrite your existing files.

Because I was having trouble ftp'ing into NEB's ftp site, Austin uploaded the file to OpenWetWare at Bairoch.601.

VectorNTI and MacOSX 10.4 (Tiger)

See Vector NTI® Software Technical Bulletin VTB0206 on this issue.

From Invitrogen service representative on 2/14/2006

"As you know Vector NTI works on Panther. However, when Apple released Tiger, the changes to their OS were sufficient to prevent our software from even installing properly. We funded a team to evaluate what it would take to port the Panther version to work on Tiger. The team included a development company recommended by Apple.

The results of the evaluation were that the software would need major revision in some core areas in order to work on Tiger. This work would not bring any new functionality. As we discussed our options with Apple and the rest of the evaluation team there were also no guarantees that any fix would prevent the same issue arising when they release their new OS in late 2006, and the consequence of their move from IBM chipsets were equally unclear. In other words we could spend significant funding, get a lot of Tiger users on the software and then later this year we would be back to where we are today. That did not seem like a sensible way forward for anyone, including the customers with whom we discussed the issues.

We have decided to take a better path, focus on a plan to overhaul the software, build it on a Mac code base, add a whole new set of functionality together with a revamping of the software's usability. We are actively looking for partners to help us with this and we already have Apple lined up as part of the team. As yet we have no timeframe for a release. Of course we are committed to the Open Access Policy, which means that any new and improved Vector NTI software would be available for free to the non-profit community."

Update (Sept 2005)

VectorNTI is now available for free to academic, governmental and non-profit researchers. VectorNTI 7.1 does not run on OS X Tiger currently. But according to the website, "Invitrogen are evaluating a patch to Vector NTI suite® 7.1 to run on TIGER. Check back here for updates on our evaluation (Sept 2005)."

Spring 2005

VectorNTI runs on MacOSX version 10.3 (Panther) but is reportedly not compatible with MacOS 10.4 (Tiger). In response to a query about whether they plan to support Tiger, their customer support said "Unfortunately, there are no current plans but we will apprise you if that situation changes." Perhaps if enough people bother Invitrogen's customer support, they will work on and release a patch.

Rumor has it that Invitrogen plans to make VectorNTI free for PC users at academic institutions and discontinue support for MacOSX. It is unclear if this is true. This site recommends contacting Invitrogen's customer service to lobby for MacOS 10.4 support.