text: $(function() {
      
      // horizonral scrolling for the banner (used when the content is wider than the screen)
      /*$(window).scroll(function() {
          
          $('header').css({
              'left': $(this).scrollLeft()
          });
          
      });*/
      
      // focus on the text input field
      $('input[type=text]').focus();
  
      // set the width of the plot container
      windowWidth = $(window).width();
      inputWidth = $('.userInput').outerWidth();
      plotWidth = windowWidth - inputWidth - 28;
      $('.plotContainer').width(plotWidth);
  
      // autocomplete functionality
      var options, a;
      $(function(){
          
          options = {
              serviceUrl:'php/autocomplete.php',
              minChars:1,
              maxHeight:200,
              deferResquestBy:0
          };
          a = $('#gene').autocomplete(options);
          
      });
  
      // sample selection
      $('.sampleSelectionElement').on('click', function() {
          
          var clickedElement = $(this);
          // remove the selected class for every selected element
          $('.sampleSelectionElement').each(function() {
              
              if ($(this).hasClass('selectedSample')) {
                  $(this).toggleClass('selectedSample');
              }
              
          });
          clickedElement.toggleClass('selectedSample');
          
      });
      
  });