This module provides a basic interface to allow your users to utilize your server's NCBI BLAST+.

Highlighted Functionality

• Supports blastn, blastx, blastp and tblastx with separate forms depending upon the database/query type.
• Simple interface allowing users to paste or upload a query sequence and then select from available databases. Additionally, a FASTA file can be uploaded for use as a database to BLAST against (this functionality can be disabled).
• Tabular Results listing with alignment information and multiple download formats (HTML, TSV, XML) available.
• Completely integrated with Tripal Jobs providing administrators with a way to track BLAST jobs and ensuring long running BLASTs will not cause page time-outs.
• BLAST databases are made available to the module by creating Drupal Pages describing them. This allows administrators to use the Drupal Field API to add any information they want to these pages.
• BLAST database records can be linked to an external source with more information (ie: NCBI) per BLAST database.

#Installation

1. Install NCBI BLAST+ on your server (Tested with 2.2.26+). There is a package available for Ubuntu to ease installation.
2. Install Tripal (Tripal Core) and this module as you would any Drupal module (ie: download, unpack in sites/all/modules and enable through http://[your site]/admin/modules)
3. Create "Blast Database" nodes for each dataset you want to make available for your users to BLAST against. BLAST databases should first be created using the command-line makeblastdb program with the -parse_seqids flag.

It's recommended that you also install the Tripal Job Daemon to manage BLAST jobs and ensure they are run soon after being submitted by the user. Without this additional module, administrators will have to execute the tripal jobs either manually or through use of cron jobs.

Customization

The BLAST module forms can be styled using CSS stylesheets in your own theme. By default it will use the default form themeing provided by your particular Drupal site allowing it to feel consistent with the look-and-feel of your Tripal site without customization being needed.

Additionally, the results page, waiting pages and the alignment section of the results page have their own template files (blast_report.tpl.php, blast_report_pending.tpl.php, and blast_report_alignment_row.tpl.php, respectively) which can easily be overridden in your own theme providing complete control over the look of the BLAST results.