Extract text from DNA chromatograms (AB1)
To convert AB1 chromatograms to another format, you need Sequence Scanner or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Bioinformatics Trace File" file type, you need software like Sequence Scanner or a similar tool.
An .AB1 file is a DNA sequencing chromatogram file created by Sanger sequencing instruments, primarily those manufactured by Applied Biosystems. It contains both the raw fluorescent intensity data (electropherogram trace) and the resulting base calls from a sequencer run. Typically, these files are viewed using specialized bioinformatics tools like SnapGene or Chromas.
However, the .AB1 format is proprietary and heavily binary. Its internal structure is notoriously disjointed, having evolved haphazardly over decades with new fields simply added as new sequencer models were released. You cannot open it natively in a standard text editor to view the genetic sequence, making it frustrating to share with colleagues or input into basic alignment pipelines.
To actually use the DNA sequence data for downstream analysis, conversion is necessary. Extracting the sequence to a FASTA or FASTQ file converts the raw binary data into universally accepted text-based formats for BLAST searches or sequence assembly. If you need to share the visual peak traces with non-technical stakeholders, converting to PDF creates a static graphical snapshot. Drop your file here to view and convert it securely right in your browser.
Convert.Guru analyzes your AB1 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ABI, AB, FSTA, SEQ, FASTA, ZIP, FAS, SCF, PDF, TXT, RAR, GB and DOCX files.
If you want to convert AB1 file to FASTA, PDF, CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF or DAT, you can use Sequence Scanner or similar software from the "DNA Sequencing Chromatogram Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to AB1, try Sequence Scanner or another comparable tool in the "DNA Sequencing Chromatogram Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our AB1 converter.