Visualizing the geography of genetic variants

Area of Science:

• Population Genetics
• Human Evolution
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Genetic variant distribution offers insights into allele origins, population spread, and evolutionary forces like migration, genetic drift, and natural selection.
• Understanding genetic variant geography is crucial for medical geneticists and for deciphering population structure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an interactive visualization tool for rapidly displaying the geographic distribution of genetic variants.
• To provide a resource for mapping allele frequencies across global populations.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Geography of Genetic Variants (GGV) browser, an interactive website.
• Implementation of a REST API for accessing allele frequency data.
• Creation of a dynamic front-end for global population maps.

Main Results:

• The GGV browser provides interactive maps visualizing allele frequencies in populations worldwide.
• The tool facilitates rapid exploration of genetic variant geographic distributions.

Conclusions:

• The GGV browser is a valuable tool for researchers studying population genetics and human evolution.
• The visualization of genetic variant frequencies aids in understanding population structure and evolutionary history.