Drawing human pedigree charts with DrawPed

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Genetics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Creating detailed human pedigree charts is essential for genetic research but often limited by a lack of accessible and free tools.
• Existing software for pedigree analysis may be costly or lack advanced features for complex family structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce DrawPed, a novel, free, and open-source software designed for the creation and editing of complex human pedigree charts.
• To address the gap in readily available online tools for generating publication-ready pedigree visualizations.

Main Methods:

• DrawPed processes standard PED format files to automatically generate pedigree charts.
• The software allows users to create pedigrees de novo and interactively edit existing charts.
• It supports the display of additional phenotypic information, such as deceased status and consanguinity, beyond standard PED file data.

Main Results:

• DrawPed successfully generates scalable, publication-ready pedigree charts in SVG format.
• The tool facilitates the export of pedigrees back into PED file format for data exchange and further analysis.
• It provides an intuitive interface for both automated chart generation and manual editing of complex family structures.

Conclusions:

• DrawPed offers a valuable, free, and open-source solution for researchers needing to create and visualize complex human pedigrees.
• The software enhances the process of genetic data representation, aiding in biomedical research and genetic counseling.
• Its features promote data sharing and integration with other bioinformatics tools.