Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV): high-performance genomics data visualization and exploration

TLDR

Data visualization is essential for genomic analysis, but the growing size and diversity of sequencing and array data create major challenges for existing tools. IGV is a high‑performance, integrative viewer that efficiently handles large heterogeneous datasets, supports array, next‑generation sequencing, clinical and phenotypic data, and offers flexible local and remote loading with a smooth user experience on standard desktops. IGV is freely available for download at http://www.broadinstitute.org/igv under a GNU LGPL open‑source license.

Abstract

Data visualization is an essential component of genomic data analysis. However, the size and diversity of the data sets produced by today’s sequencing and array-based profiling methods present major challenges to visualization tools. The Integrative Genomics Viewer (IGV) is a high-performance viewer that efficiently handles large heterogeneous data sets, while providing a smooth and intuitive user experience at all levels of genome resolution. A key characteristic of IGV is its focus on the integrative nature of genomic studies, with support for both array-based and next-generation sequencing data, and the integration of clinical and phenotypic data. Although IGV is often used to view genomic data from public sources, its primary emphasis is to support researchers who wish to visualize and explore their own data sets or those from colleagues. To that end, IGV supports flexible loading of local and remote data sets, and is optimized to provide high-performance data visualization and exploration on standard desktop systems. IGV is freely available for download from http://www.broadinstitute.org/igv, under a GNU LGPL open-source license.