diff --git a/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/Links.js b/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/Links.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a5442812
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/Links.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import React from 'react'
+
+const inmaps = (topic) => {
+  const inmapsArray = topic.get('inmaps') || []
+  const inmapsLinks = topic.get('inmapsLinks') || []
+
+  let html = ''
+  if (inmapsArray.length < 6) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < inmapsArray.length; i++) {
+      const url = '/maps/' + inmapsLinks[i]
+      html += '<li><a href="' + url + '">' + inmapsArray[i] + '</a></li>'
+    }
+  } else {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+      const url = '/maps/' + inmapsLinks[i]
+      html += '<li><a href="' + url + '">' + inmapsArray[i] + '</a></li>'
+    }
+    const extra = inmapsArray.length - 5
+    html += '<li><span class="showMore">See ' + extra + ' more...</span></li>'
+    for (let i = 5; i < inmapsArray.length; i++) {
+      const url = '/maps/' + inmapsLinks[i]
+      html += '<li class="hideExtra extraText"><a href="' + url + '">' + inmapsArray[i] + '</a></li>'
+    }
+  }
+
+  return html
+}
+
+const Links = (props) => {
+  const { topic } = props
+  const topicId = topic.isNew() ? topic.cid : topic.id // TODO should we really be using cid here?!?
+  const permission = topic.get('permission')
+  // the code for this is stored in /views/main/_metacodeOptions.html.erb
+  const metacodeSelectHTML = $('#metacodeOptions').html()
+
+  return (
+		<div className="links">
+			<div className="linkItem icon">
+				<div className={`metacodeTitle mbg${topic.get('metacode_id')}`}>
+					{topic.getMetacode().get('name')}
+					<div className="expandMetacodeSelect"></div>
+				</div>
+				<div className="metacodeImage" style={{backgroundImage: `url(${topic.getMetacode().get('icon')})`}} title="click and drag to move card"></div>
+        <div className="metacodeSelect" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: metacodeSelectHTML }} />
+			</div>
+			<div className="linkItem contributor">
+				<a href={`/explore/mapper/${topic.get('user_id')}`} target="_blank"><img src={topic.get('user_image')} className="contributorIcon" width="32" height="32" /></a>
+				<div className="contributorName">{topic.get('user_name')}</div>
+			</div>
+			<div className="linkItem mapCount">
+				<div className="mapCountIcon"></div>
+				{topic.get('map_count').toString()}
+				<div className="hoverTip">Click to see which maps topic appears on</div>
+				<div className="tip"><ul>{inmaps(props.topic)}</ul></div>
+			</div>
+			<a href={`/topics/${topicId}`} target="_blank" className="linkItem synapseCount">
+				<div className="synapseCountIcon"></div>
+				{topic.get('synapse_count').toString()}
+				<div className="tip">Click to see this topics synapses</div>
+			</a>
+			<div className={`linkItem mapPerm ${permission.substring(0, 2)}`} title={permission}></div>
+			<div className="clearfloat"></div>
+		</div>
+  )
+}
+
+/*
+ * Links.propTypes = {
+ *   topic: PropTypes.object, // backbone object
+ * }
+ */
+
+export default Links
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/Title.js b/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/Title.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4981b561
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/Title.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import React from 'react'
+import { RIETextArea } from 'riek'
+
+const Title = (props) => {
+  return (
+		<span className="title">
+			<RIETextArea value={props.name}
+				propName="name"
+				change={props.onChange}
+				className="titleWrapper"
+				id="titleActivator"
+				classEditing="riek-editing"
+				editProps={{
+					onKeyPress: e => {
+						const ENTER = 13
+						if (e.which === ENTER) {
+							e.preventDefault()
+							props.onChange({ name: e.target.value })
+						}
+					}
+				}}
+			/>
+		</span>
+  )
+}
+
+/*
+ * Title.propTypes = {
+ *   name: PropTypes.string,
+ *   onChange: PropTypes.func
+ * }
+ */
+
+export default Title
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/TopicCard.js b/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/index.js
similarity index 67%
rename from frontend/src/components/TopicCard.js
rename to frontend/src/components/TopicCard/index.js
index d41b3720..f7d0e365 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/TopicCard.js
+++ b/frontend/src/components/TopicCard/index.js
@@ -2,54 +2,20 @@
 import React, { PropTypes, Component } from 'react'
 import { RIETextArea } from 'riek'
 
-import Util from '../Metamaps/Util'
+import Util from '../../Metamaps/Util'
+
+import Title from './Title'
+import Links from './Links'
+
+const descHTML = (topic, ActiveMapper) => {
+  const authorized = topic.authorizeToEdit(ActiveMapper)
+  const descMarkdown = (topic.get('desc') === '' && authorized)
+    ? 'Click to add description...'
+    : topic.get('desc')
+  return Util.mdToHTML(descMarkdown)
+}
 
 var funcs = {
-  buildObject: function(topic, ActiveMapper) {
-    var nodeValues = {}
-    var authorized = topic.authorizeToEdit(ActiveMapper)
-    var inmapsAr = topic.get('inmaps') || []
-    var inmapsLinks = topic.get('inmapsLinks') || []
-    nodeValues.inmaps = ''
-    if (inmapsAr.length < 6) {
-      for (let i = 0; i < inmapsAr.length; i++) {
-        const url = '/maps/' + inmapsLinks[i]
-        nodeValues.inmaps += '<li><a href="' + url + '">' + inmapsAr[i] + '</a></li>'
-      }
-    } else {
-      for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
-        const url = '/maps/' + inmapsLinks[i]
-        nodeValues.inmaps += '<li><a href="' + url + '">' + inmapsAr[i] + '</a></li>'
-      }
-      const extra = inmapsAr.length - 5
-      nodeValues.inmaps += '<li><span class="showMore">See ' + extra + ' more...</span></li>'
-      for (let i = 5; i < inmapsAr.length; i++) {
-        const url = '/maps/' + inmapsLinks[i]
-        nodeValues.inmaps += '<li class="hideExtra extraText"><a href="' + url + '">' + inmapsAr[i] + '</a></li>'
-      }
-    }
-    nodeValues.permission = topic.get('permission')
-    nodeValues.mk_permission = topic.get('permission').substring(0, 2)
-    nodeValues.map_count = topic.get('map_count').toString()
-    nodeValues.synapse_count = topic.get('synapse_count').toString()
-    nodeValues.id = topic.isNew() ? topic.cid : topic.id
-    nodeValues.metacode = topic.getMetacode().get('name')
-    nodeValues.metacode_class = 'mbg' + topic.get('metacode_id')
-    nodeValues.imgsrc = topic.getMetacode().get('icon')
-    nodeValues.name = topic.get('name')
-    nodeValues.userid = topic.get('user_id')
-    nodeValues.username = topic.get('user_name')
-    nodeValues.userimage = topic.get('user_image')
-    nodeValues.date = topic.getDate()
-    // the code for this is stored in /views/main/_metacodeOptions.html.erb
-    nodeValues.metacode_select = $('#metacodeOptions').html()
-    nodeValues.desc_nil = 'Click to add description...'
-    nodeValues.desc_markdown = (topic.get('desc') === '' && authorized)
-      ? nodeValues.desc_nil
-      : topic.get('desc')
-    nodeValues.desc_html = Util.mdToHTML(nodeValues.desc_markdown)
-    return nodeValues
-  },
   bindShowCardListeners: function(topic, ActiveMapper) {
     var authorized = topic.authorizeToEdit(ActiveMapper)
     var selectingMetacode = false
@@ -134,6 +100,12 @@ var funcs = {
       $('.metacodeSelect li li').click(metacodeLiClick)
     }
 
+    var hidePermissionSelect = function() {
+      selectingPermission = false
+      $('.showcard .yourTopic .mapPerm').removeClass('minimize') // this line flips the pull up arrow to a drop down arrow
+      $('.showcard .permissionSelect').remove()
+    }
+
     var permissionLiClick = function(event) {
       selectingPermission = false
       var permission = $(this).attr('class')
@@ -141,8 +113,8 @@ var funcs = {
         permission: permission,
         defer_to_map_id: null
       })
-      $('.showcard .mapPerm').removeClass('co pu pr minimize').addClass(permission.substring(0, 2))
-      $('.showcard .permissionSelect').remove()
+      $('.showcard .mapPerm').removeClass('co pu pr').addClass(permission.substring(0, 2))
+      hidePermissionSelect()
     }
 
     var openPermissionSelect = function(event) {
@@ -160,12 +132,6 @@ var funcs = {
         event.stopPropagation()
       }
     }
-
-    var hidePermissionSelect = function() {
-      selectingPermission = false
-      $('.showcard .yourTopic .mapPerm').removeClass('minimize') // this line flips the pull up arrow to a drop down arrow
-      $('.showcard .permissionSelect').remove()
-    }
     // ability to change permission
     var selectingPermission = false
     if (topic.authorizePermissionChange(ActiveMapper)) {
@@ -276,7 +242,6 @@ class ReactTopicCard extends Component {
   render = () => {
     const { topic, ActiveMapper, removeLink } = this.props
     const { linkEdit, embedlyLinkLoaded, embedlyLinkStarted, embedlyLinkError } = this.state
-    const values = funcs.buildObject(topic, ActiveMapper)
     var authorizedToEdit = topic.authorizeToEdit(ActiveMapper)
 
     let classname = 'permission'
@@ -289,58 +254,16 @@ class ReactTopicCard extends Component {
     if (topic.authorizePermissionChange(ActiveMapper)) classname += ' yourTopic'
     const hasAttachment = topic.get('link') && topic.get('link') !== ''
 
+    const topicId = topic.isNew() ? topic.cid : topic.id
     return (
       <div className={classname}>
-        <div className={`CardOnGraph ${hasAttachment ? 'hasAttachment' : ''}`} id={`topic_${values.id}`}>
-          <span className="title">
-            <RIETextArea value={values.name}
-              propName="name"
-              change={this.props.updateTopic}
-              className="titleWrapper"
-              id="titleActivator"
-              classEditing="riek-editing"
-              editProps={{
-                onKeyPress: e => {
-                  const ENTER = 13
-                  if (e.which === ENTER) {
-                    e.preventDefault()
-                    this.props.updateTopic({ name: e.target.value })
-                  }
-                }
-              }}
-            />
-          </span>
-          <div className="links">
-            <div className="linkItem icon">
-              <div className={`metacodeTitle ${values.metacode_class}`}>
-                {values.metacode}
-                <div className="expandMetacodeSelect"></div>
-              </div>
-              <div className="metacodeImage" style={{backgroundImage: `url(${values.imgsrc})`}} title="click and drag to move card"></div>
-              <div className="metacodeSelect" dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: values.metacode_select }} />
-            </div>
-            <div className="linkItem contributor">
-              <a href={`/explore/mapper/${values.userid}`} target="_blank"><img src={values.userimage} className="contributorIcon" width="32" height="32" /></a>
-              <div className="contributorName">{values.username}</div>
-            </div>
-            <div className="linkItem mapCount">
-              <div className="mapCountIcon"></div>
-              {values.map_count}
-              <div className="hoverTip">Click to see which maps topic appears on</div>
-              <div className="tip"><ul>{values.inmaps}</ul></div>
-            </div>
-            <a href={`/topics/${values.id}`} target="_blank" className="linkItem synapseCount">
-              <div className="synapseCountIcon"></div>
-              {values.synapse_count}
-              <div className="tip">Click to see this topics synapses</div>
-            </a>
-            <div className={`linkItem mapPerm ${values.mk_permission}`} title={values.permission}></div>
-            <div className="clearfloat"></div>
-          </div>
+        <div className={`CardOnGraph ${hasAttachment ? 'hasAttachment' : ''}`} id={`topic_${topicId}`}>
+          <Title name={topic.get('name')} onChange={this.props.updateTopic} />
+          <Links topic={topic} />
           <div className="scroll">
             <div className="desc">
               <span className="best_in_place best_in_place_desc"
-                dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{__html: values.desc_html}}
+                dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{  __html: descHTML(topic, ActiveMapper) }}
                 >
               </span>
               <div className="clearfloat"></div>