Use Integrated Genome Browser to explore, analyze, and share genome-scale data sets

High throughput sequencing and other genome-scale assays produce vast data sets that can be analyzed in diverse ways. Making the most of these large data sets requires tools that are flexible enough to answer diverse questions. Integrated Genome Browser (IGB) is a fast, flexible, and free genome visualization tool designed to help scientists analyze genome-scale data sets. IGB employs interactive visualization techniques such as animated one-dimensional semantic zooming, edge matching, a zoom stripe pointer, and alternative views on the same genomic scene to help users explore their data. In the last year, more than 8,000 scientists have used IGB to visualize data from next-generation sequencing experiments, tiling arrays, and EST/genome sequencing projects. Since our presentation at PAG in 2011, we added many new features and refactored aspects of the IGB code to allow addition of new functionality via plug-ins. Developers can now add new features to IGB such as new analysis algorithms and novel views on data. We added support for new files formats (e.g., tabix) that make it even easier for researchers to share data with colleagues and the public using IGB's simple QuickLoad and DAS data server mechanisms. IGB can run any computer with Java 1.6 installed is freely available from www.bioviz.org/igb.