diff --git a/modules/bindings/pymod/clustalw.py b/modules/bindings/pymod/clustalw.py
index 3625ede812497c0ce96f022b849e7ff0de1fd5b2..38678cc7809872d91c79142b5968060134a24dec 100644
--- a/modules/bindings/pymod/clustalw.py
+++ b/modules/bindings/pymod/clustalw.py
@@ -16,7 +16,19 @@ def ClustalW(seq1, seq2, clustalw=None):
                                                            out)
   ps=subprocess.Popen(command, shell=True, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
   ps.stdout.readlines()
-  aln=io.LoadAlignment(out)
-  temp_dir.Cleanup()
+  taln=io.LoadAlignment(out)
+  aln=seq.CreateAlignment()
+  if (seq1.HasAttachedView() and seq2.HasAttachedView()):
+    seq00=taln.GetSequence(0).Copy()
+    seq00.AttachView(seq1.GetAttachedView().Copy())
+    seq01=taln.GetSequence(1).Copy()
+    seq01.AttachView(seq2.GetAttachedView().Copy())
+    aln.AddSequence(seq00)
+    aln.AddSequence(seq01)
+  else:
+    aln=taln.Copy()
+
+  #~ temp_dir.Cleanup()
+  
   return aln
-  
\ No newline at end of file
+  
diff --git a/modules/io/src/io_manager.cc b/modules/io/src/io_manager.cc
index b03169d8c84e49f80a7af74c23cf2780d20928b3..0bde4d10a2e1c05caeb7cd0876b00e9e6dbee501 100644
--- a/modules/io/src/io_manager.cc
+++ b/modules/io/src/io_manager.cc
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <ost/io/mol/entity_io_sdf_handler.hh>
 #include <ost/io/mol/entity_io_mae_handler.hh>
 #include <ost/io/seq/fasta_io_handler.hh>
+#include <ost/io/seq/pir_io_handler.hh>
 #include <ost/io/seq/promod_io_handler.hh>
 #include <ost/io/mol/surface_io_msms_handler.hh>
 #include <ost/io/seq/clustal_io_handler.hh>
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ IOManager::IOManager()
   RegisterFactory(EntityIOHandlerFactoryBaseP(new EntityIOSDFHandlerFactory));
   RegisterFactory(EntityIOHandlerFactoryBaseP(new EntityIOMAEHandlerFactory));
   RegisterFactory(SequenceIOHandlerFactoryBasePtr(new FastaIOHandlerFactory));  
+  RegisterFactory(SequenceIOHandlerFactoryBasePtr(new PirIOHandlerFactory));
   RegisterFactory(SequenceIOHandlerFactoryBasePtr(new ClustalIOHandlerFactory));  
   RegisterFactory(SequenceIOHandlerFactoryBasePtr(new PromodIOHandlerFactory));    
   RegisterFactory(SurfaceIOHandlerFactoryBasePtr(new SurfaceIOMSMSHandlerFactory));
@@ -142,9 +144,9 @@ MapIOHandlerPtr IOManager::FindMapImportHandlerFile(const boost::filesystem::pat
     }
     throw IOUnknownFormatException("Unsupported type in FindMapImportHandle.");
   }else{
-	String match_suf_string=loc.string();
-	std::transform(match_suf_string.begin(),match_suf_string.end(),match_suf_string.begin(),tolower);
-	for(MapIOFList::const_iterator it=map_io_list_.begin(); it!=map_io_list_.end();++it) {
+  String match_suf_string=loc.string();
+  std::transform(match_suf_string.begin(),match_suf_string.end(),match_suf_string.begin(),tolower);
+  for(MapIOFList::const_iterator it=map_io_list_.begin(); it!=map_io_list_.end();++it) {
       if((*it)->MatchSuffix(match_suf_string)) {
         return (*it)->Create();
       }
@@ -209,8 +211,8 @@ MapIOHandlerPtr IOManager::FindMapExportHandlerFile(const boost::filesystem::pat
     if (pos == String::npos){
       throw IOUnknownFormatException("No file suffix given for " + filename+", please indicate file type.");
     }
-	String match_suf_string=loc.string();
-	std::transform(match_suf_string.begin(),match_suf_string.end(),match_suf_string.begin(),tolower);
+  String match_suf_string=loc.string();
+  std::transform(match_suf_string.begin(),match_suf_string.end(),match_suf_string.begin(),tolower);
     for(MapIOFList::const_iterator it=map_io_list_.begin(); it!=map_io_list_.end();++it) {
       if((*it)->MatchSuffix(match_suf_string)) {
         return(*it)->Create();
diff --git a/modules/io/src/seq/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/io/src/seq/CMakeLists.txt
index d588b4e70ccc74938734fe13ad52111d62da3aa3..9dd14b52abbaf97d83967c2660e48e4438dfce76 100644
--- a/modules/io/src/seq/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/io/src/seq/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ clustal_io_handler.cc
 load.cc
 save.cc
 fasta_io_handler.cc
+pir_io_handler.cc
 promod_io_handler.cc
 PARENT_SCOPE
 )
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ PARENT_SCOPE
 set(OST_IO_SEQ_HEADERS
 sequence_io_handler.hh
 fasta_io_handler.hh
+pir_io_handler.hh
 promod_io_handler.hh
 clustal_io_handler.hh
 load.hh
diff --git a/modules/io/src/seq/pir_io_handler.cc b/modules/io/src/seq/pir_io_handler.cc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..47a9bede8bc32f4fd7ebcd632def22bd43dbcb57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/io/src/seq/pir_io_handler.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// This file is part of the OpenStructure project <www.openstructure.org>
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2008-2010 by the OpenStructure authors
+//
+// This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+// the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+// Software Foundation; either version 3.0 of the License, or (at your option)
+// any later version.
+// This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+// ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+// FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more
+// details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+// 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#include "pir_io_handler.hh"
+#include <ost/message.hh>
+#include <boost/filesystem/fstream.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem/convenience.hpp>
+#include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+#include <boost/format.hpp>
+
+#include <ost/io/io_exception.hh>
+#include <ost/seq/invalid_sequence.hh>
+/*
+  Author: Juergen Haas
+ */
+
+using boost::format;
+
+namespace ost { namespace io {
+
+void PirIOHandler::Import(seq::SequenceList& aln,
+                            const boost::filesystem::path& loc) 
+{
+    if (!boost::filesystem::exists(loc)) {
+      throw IOException("File does not exist");
+    }
+    
+    boost::filesystem::ifstream infile(loc);
+    this->Import(aln, infile);
+}
+
+void PirIOHandler::Export(const seq::ConstSequenceList& msa,
+                            const boost::filesystem::path& loc) const {
+  boost::filesystem::ofstream outfile(loc);
+  this->Export(msa, outfile);
+}
+
+
+
+
+bool PirIOHandler::ProvidesImport(const boost::filesystem::path& loc, 
+                                    const String& format) {
+  if (format=="auto") {
+   String match_suf_string=loc.string();
+   std::transform(match_suf_string.begin(),match_suf_string.end(),match_suf_string.begin(),tolower);
+   if (detail::FilenameEndsWith(match_suf_string,".pir"))  {
+  return true;
+   }
+  } else if(format=="pir") {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return false;                
+}
+
+bool PirIOHandler::ProvidesExport(const boost::filesystem::path& loc, 
+                           const String& format) {
+  return PirIOHandler::ProvidesImport(loc, format);
+}
+
+void PirIOHandler::Import(seq::SequenceList& aln,
+                            std::istream& instream)
+{
+  const char* error_msg="Bad Pir file: Expected '>', but '%1%' found.";  
+  
+  String line;
+  std::getline(instream, line);    
+  int seq_count=0;
+  //not yet supported
+  throw IOException("Import of PIR format is not yet supported!");
+  while (!instream.eof()) {
+    // parse header information. cut after first "|"
+    if (line.find_first_not_of("\n\t ")==String::npos) {
+      std::getline(instream, line);
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (line.length()==0 || line[0]!='>') {
+      String error=str(format(error_msg) % line);
+      throw IOException(error);
+    }
+    String identifier=line.substr(1);
+    String sequence_str;
+    while (std::getline(instream, line) && line.size()>0 && line[0]!='>') {
+      if (line.find_first_not_of("\n\t ")==String::npos) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      sequence_str+=line;
+    }
+    if (sequence_str.length()>0) {
+      try {
+        seq::SequenceHandle seq=seq::CreateSequence(identifier, sequence_str);
+        aln.AddSequence(seq);          
+        seq_count+=1;
+      } catch (seq::InvalidSequence& e) {
+        throw e;
+      }
+    } else {
+      throw IOException("Bad Pir file: Sequence is empty.");
+    }
+  }    
+  if (seq_count==0) {
+    throw IOException("Bad Pir file: File is empty");
+  }                        
+
+}
+
+void PirIOHandler::Export(const seq::ConstSequenceList& seqs,
+                            std::ostream& ostream) const
+{
+  for (int i=0; i<seqs.GetCount(); ++i) {
+    ostream << ">P1;" << seqs[i].GetName() << std::endl;
+    ostream << "title" << std::endl;
+    ostream << seqs[i].GetString() <<"*" << std::endl;
+  }
+}
+
+}}
diff --git a/modules/io/src/seq/pir_io_handler.hh b/modules/io/src/seq/pir_io_handler.hh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..18058ef022e6569e5138bc493509f8f65856ffdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/io/src/seq/pir_io_handler.hh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// This file is part of the OpenStructure project <www.openstructure.org>
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2008-2010 by the OpenStructure authors
+//
+// This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+// the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+// Software Foundation; either version 3.0 of the License, or (at your option)
+// any later version.
+// This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+// ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
+// FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more
+// details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
+// 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+//------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+#ifndef OST_IO_PIR_HANDLER_HH
+#define OST_IO_PIR_HANDLER_HH
+/*
+  Author: Juergen Haas
+ */
+#include <ost/io/module_config.hh>
+#include "sequence_io_handler.hh"
+
+namespace ost { namespace io {
+
+class DLLEXPORT_OST_IO PirIOHandler : public SequenceIOHandler {
+public:
+  virtual void Import(seq::SequenceList& aln,
+                      const boost::filesystem::path& loc);
+
+  virtual void Export(const seq::ConstSequenceList& aln,
+                      const boost::filesystem::path& loc) const;
+                      
+  virtual void Import(seq::SequenceList& aln,
+                      std::istream& instream);
+
+  virtual void Export(const seq::ConstSequenceList& aln,
+                      std::ostream& ostream) const;                      
+
+  static bool ProvidesImport(const boost::filesystem::path& loc, 
+                             const String& format="auto");
+  static bool ProvidesExport(const boost::filesystem::path& loc, 
+                             const String& format="auto");
+  static String GetFormatName() { return String("Pir"); }
+  static String GetFormatDescription() { return String(" Protein Information Resource (PIR) Sequence format"); }
+
+private:                             
+};
+
+typedef SequenceIOHandlerFactory<PirIOHandler> PirIOHandlerFactory; 
+}}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/modules/io/src/seq/save.cc b/modules/io/src/seq/save.cc
index 06ca395f6cf95066340f580f9046b3a8a28565a4..38956b9fe6637e264d3173f9dec244d886a7b01d 100644
--- a/modules/io/src/seq/save.cc
+++ b/modules/io/src/seq/save.cc
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ SequenceListToString(const seq::ConstSequenceList& seq_list,
   SequenceIOHandlerPtr ali_io=m.FindAlignmentExportHandler("", format);
   
   if (!ali_io) {
-    throw IOException("Can't sequences to format '"+format+"'.");
+    throw IOException("Can't export sequences to format '"+format+"'.");
   }
   std::stringstream sstream;
   ali_io->Export(seq_list, sstream);
diff --git a/modules/seq/base/pymod/__init__.py b/modules/seq/base/pymod/__init__.py
index 1a2d44904ac7c6368fabbb0303ebc4d2ce3dd680..6b92feb561d921cbf76caba2939286e5b5ca2c9f 100644
--- a/modules/seq/base/pymod/__init__.py
+++ b/modules/seq/base/pymod/__init__.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 # 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from _seq import *
+from ost import mol
 
 def ViewsFromAlignment(multi_seq_ali, ent_a, ent_b, include_atoms=True):
   seq_a=multi_seq_ali.GetSequence(0)
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@ def ViewsFromSequences(seq_a, seq_b, ent_a=None, ent_b=None,
   #~ print seq_ent_a
   #~ print s1
 
-  print seq_ent_a
-  print s1
+  #~ print seq_ent_a
+  #~ print s1
   off_a = seq_ent_a.index(s1)
   off_b = seq_ent_b.index(s2)