diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 259705c..641be6a 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@
     name = 'smallrnaseq',
     version = '0.4.0',
     description = 'Package for short RNA-seq analysis',
+    long_description = 'smallrnaseq is a Python package for processing of small RNA seq data.',
     url='https://github.com/dmnfarrell/smallrnaseq',
     license='GPL v3',
     author = 'Damien Farrell',
-    author_email = 'farrell.damien[at]gmail.com',
+    author_email = 'farrell.damien@gmail.com',
     packages = ['smallrnaseq'],
     package_data={'smallrnaseq': ['data/*','*.R']},
     install_requires=inst_requires,
diff --git a/smallrnaseq/app.py b/smallrnaseq/app.py
index 753d618..0b6716a 100755
--- a/smallrnaseq/app.py
+++ b/smallrnaseq/app.py
@@ -333,11 +333,15 @@ def diff_expression(opts):
         sep = '\t'
     labels = pd.read_csv(labelsfile, sep=sep)
     counts = pd.read_csv(countsfile)
+    counts = counts.drop_duplicates('name')
 
     #define sample/factor cols and conditions for de
     samplecol = opts['sample_col']
     factorcol = opts['factors_col']
     conds = opts['conditions'].split(',')
+    print ('using these labels:')
+    print (labels[[samplecol, factorcol]].sort_values(factorcol))
+
     #tell user about possible errors
     if len(conds) < 2 or conds[0] == '':
         print ('you need to provide 2 conditions to compare')
@@ -350,10 +354,11 @@ def diff_expression(opts):
 
     print ('conditions:', ' vs '.join(conds))
     #get the samples needed for the required conditions we want to compare
-    data = de.get_factor_samples(counts,
+    data, samples = de.get_factor_samples(counts,
                                  labels, [(factorcol,conds[0]),(factorcol,conds[1])],
                                  samplecol=samplecol, index='name')
-    #print (data[:4])
+    #print (samples)
+
     res = de.run_edgeR(data=data, cutoff=logfccutoff)
     res.to_csv(os.path.join(path,'de_genes_edger.csv'), float_format='%.4g')
     print ('genes above log-fold cutoff using edgeR:')
@@ -367,13 +372,20 @@ def diff_expression(opts):
     print (res2)
 
     both = res[res.name.isin(res2.name)]
+    if len(both) == 0:
+        print ('no significant genes found above cutoff')
+        return
     #limit number of plots
     if len(both)>40:
         names = both[(both.logFC>1.5) | (both.logFC<-1.5)].name[:50]
     else:
         names = both.name
     #plot these genes with seaborn factor plot
-    xorder=conds
+    xorder = conds
+    counts = counts.set_index('name')[samples]
+    #normalize counts (don't rely on norm cols as they may be missing)
+    counts = base.total_library_normalize(counts)
+
     m = de.melt_samples(counts, labels, names, samplecol=samplecol)
     import seaborn as sns
     kind = opts['de_plot']
@@ -388,9 +400,7 @@ def diff_expression(opts):
     import pylab as plt
     plt.savefig(os.path.join(path,'MD_plot.png'))
 
-    scols,ncols = base.get_column_names(counts)
-    c = counts.set_index('name')[ncols]
-    de.cluster_map(c, names)
+    de.cluster_map(counts, names)
     plt.savefig(os.path.join(path,'de_clustermap.png'),bbox_inches='tight')
 
     print ('wrote plots to %s' %path)
diff --git a/smallrnaseq/de.py b/smallrnaseq/de.py
index b4731c5..5d41592 100644
--- a/smallrnaseq/de.py
+++ b/smallrnaseq/de.py
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ def get_columns_by_label(labels, samplecol, filters=[], querystr=None):
         q=[]
         for f in filters:
             print (f)
-            if type(f[1]) in ['int','float']:
+            dtype = labels[f[0]].dtype.kind
+            if dtype in 'bifc':
                 s = "%s==%s" %(f[0],f[1])
             else:
                 s = "%s=='%s'" %(f[0],f[1])
@@ -64,18 +65,21 @@ def get_factor_samples(df, labels, factors, filters=[], samplecol='filename', in
             samplecol: name of column holding sample/file names
        Returns:
             dataframe of data columns with header labels for edgeR script
+            a dict mapping condition to column names
     """
 
     if index != None:
         df=df.set_index(index)
     l=0
     res = None
-
+    samples = []
     for f in factors:
+        cond = f[1]
         f = filters + [f]
         cols = get_columns_by_label(labels, samplecol, f)
         print (cols)
         cols = list(set(cols) & set(df.columns))
+        samples.extend(cols)
         x = df[cols]
         print ('%s samples, %s genes' %(len(cols),len(x)))
         if len(x.columns)==0:
@@ -90,7 +94,7 @@ def get_factor_samples(df, labels, factors, filters=[], samplecol='filename', in
         else:
             res = res.join(x)
     res=res.dropna()
-    return res
+    return res, samples
 
 def run_edgeR(countsfile=None, data=None, cutoff=1.5):
     """Run edgeR from R script"""
@@ -179,26 +183,28 @@ def rpyEdgeR(data, groups, sizes, genes):
     pvals = list(tags.r['adj.P.Val'][0])
     return
 
-def melt_samples(df, labels, names, samplecol='filename', index='name'):
+def melt_samples(df, labels, names, samplecol='filename', index=None):
     """Melt sample data by factor labels so we can plot with seaborn"""
 
-    df=df.set_index(index)
-    scols,ncols = base.get_column_names(df)
-    df = df.ix[names][ncols]
+    if index is not None:
+        df=df.set_index(index)
+    df = df.ix[names]
     t=df.T
-    t.index = scols
+    t.index = df.columns
     t = t.merge(labels,left_index=True,right_on=samplecol)
     m = pd.melt(t,id_vars=list(labels.columns),
                  var_name='name',value_name='read count')
     return m
 
 def cluster_map(data, names):
+    """Cluster map of genes"""
+
     import seaborn as sns
     import pylab as plt
     data = data.ix[names]
     X = np.log(data).fillna(0)
     X = X.apply(lambda x: x-x.mean(), 1)
-    cg = sns.clustermap(X,cmap='RdYlBu',figsize=(8,10),lw=1,linecolor='gray')
+    cg = sns.clustermap(X,cmap='RdYlBu_r',figsize=(8,10),lw=.5,linecolor='gray')
     mt=plt.setp(cg.ax_heatmap.yaxis.get_majorticklabels(), rotation=0)
     mt=plt.setp(cg.ax_heatmap.xaxis.get_majorticklabels(), rotation=90)
-    return cg
\ No newline at end of file
+    return cg