New ‘Google Earth for genomics’ tool developed by researchers in Wales

A new tool – described as the Google Earth for genomics – could transform how scientists visualise and analyse genomic data and help to advance cancer research techniques.

Dr Kez Cleal, Lecturer in Cancer Bioinformatics, School of Medicine at Cardiff University, has developed new software, Genome-Wide (GW), that will allow researchers to explore massive datasets with unprecedented speed, processing 100 times faster than existing tools.

Dr Cleal’s research was supported by the Wales Cancer Research Centre (WCRC), which is funded by Health and Care Research Wales.

The findings have been published in the paper ‘GW: ultra-fast chromosome-scale visualisation of genomics data’ in Nature Methods.

Dr Cleal said: “This breakthrough is particularly important in cancer research, where understanding large-scale structural changes in the genome is key to unlocking the mechanisms behind the disease.

“With GW, we’re able to dynamically visualise genome-scale changes, giving us the ability to explore and understand complex genetic structures in ways that were not possible before. This opens the door to more efficient cancer research, helping us to quickly identify genetic changes of interest in the cancer genome.

Current genome browsers are invaluable for exploring genetic changes but lack the speed offered by high-performance libraries and frameworks. 

In particular, current tools struggle to visualise large genomic regions which is vital in understanding complex genetic rearrangements.

The GW software enables real-time observation of genetic changes, speeding up crucial research tasks.

Dr Cleal added: “Understanding the genetic changes that underlie cancer is vital in finding new cancer diagnoses, risk identification, and treatments for the future. Genome-Wide provides a step forward in tools that can help researchers gain a deeper understanding of the genetics of cancer.”

Dr Cleal’s research was also funded by Cancer Research UK.

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