The Galaxy Track Browser: Transforming the genome browser from visualization tool to analysis tool

Abstract

The proliferation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and analysis tools present new challenges to genome browsers. These challenges include supporting very large datasets, integrating analysis tools with data visualization to help reason about and improve analyses, and sharing or publishing fully interactive visualizations. The Galaxy Track Browser (GTB) is a Web-based genome browser integrated into the Galaxy platform that addresses these challenges. GTB is the first Web-based genome browser to provide a full multi-resolution data model; this model supports efficient data retrieval from very large datasets. GTB leverages the Galaxy platform to combine data visualization and data analysis; users can specify parameter values and run tools to produce new data, all within GTB. GTB also provides interactive filters that dynamically show and hide data and can be used to identify data for further investigation. GTB is available on every Galaxy server, and visualizations can be created for both standard and custom genome builds. Fully interactive GTB visualizations can be shared with colleagues and published on the Web using a simple graphical user interface.