Using the Wash U Epigenome Browser to examine genome-wide sequencing data.

Abstract

This unit describes the Wash U Epigenome Browser, a next-generation genomic data visualization system. The Browser currently hosts ENCODE and Roadmap Epigenomics data for human and model organisms. The Browser displays many sequencing-based data sets across all or part of the genome, on specific gene sets or pathways, and in the context of their metadata. Investigators can order, filter, aggregate, classify, and display data interactively based on given feature sets including metadata features, annotated biological pathways, and user-defined collections of genes or genomic coordinates. Further, statistical tests can be performed on selected data. Individual labs can upload their sequencing or array-based data as custom tracks and display them in the context of consortium data, allowing for direct comparisons. The Browser is an increasingly important and widely accessible tool for deriving biological insights from unprecedented amounts of high-quality genomic, epigenomic, and expression data.