Quick Start Guide

Get started with Kernel in five minutes. This guide walks you through signing in, navigating your workspace, and creating your first construct.

Sign In

1. Navigate to kernel.asimov.com

2. Sign in with your email

3. You'll land on your workspace dashboard

Navigate Your Workspace

After signing in, you'll see the dashboard with:

• Create new buttons for Repository, Notebook, Part, and Construct

• Latest files and repositories showing recent work

• Notifications panel showing completed runs and updates

Dashboard

Use the left sidebar to navigate:

Section	Description
Home	Dashboard with recent files and quick actions
Repos	Browse repositories, constructs, parts, and files
Runs	View simulation and optimization run history
Editor	Access the construct editor directly
Tools	BLAST search, SecureDNA scanner, and more
Kernel AI	AI assistant for genetic design
Settings	Account and workspace configuration

Create Your First Repository

Repositories organize your constructs, parts, and notebooks.

1. Click New in the top right, or click Repository in the Create new section

2. Enter a name for your repository

3. Add an optional description

4. Click Create

Your new repository appears in the Repos section.

Create Your First Construct

Constructs are genetic designs like plasmids, vectors, or expression cassettes.

1. Click New > Construct, or use the Create new section on the dashboard

2. Choose how to start:

   • Manual entry: Type or paste a sequence

   • Import file: Upload a GenBank (.gb), DNA (.dna), or FASTA (.fasta) file

   • From template: Start with a pre-built template

3. Name your construct and select a destination repository

4. Click Create

The construct editor opens with three views:

• Schematic: Visual parts-based representation at the top

• Sequence viewer: DNA sequence with annotations

• Circular map: Plasmid map visualization

Identify Parts in Your Construct

Parts are reusable genetic elements like promoters, genes, and terminators.

1. In the construct editor, click Part match in the right sidebar

2. Kernel analyzes your sequence and suggests matching parts from your library

3. Click a suggestion to create a part annotation at that location

4. Use the global search (Cmd/Ctrl + K) to find and add new parts

Next Steps

• Learn about Core Concepts like workspaces, repositories, and parts

• Explore Navigating the Interface for a detailed UI tour

• Read Creating Constructs for advanced design techniques