Next-generation bioinformatics: An ultrafast and user-friendly tool for
phylogenomic data exploration
Abstract
With increasingly large genomic datasets, even routine bioinformatic
tasks can be arduous, computationally demanding, and time-consuming.
Additionally, most bioinformatic programs do not have a graphical user
interface (GUI) and thus, require users to be minimally competent in
command-line. These impediments present significant economic and
technological barriers for practitioners who do not have access to
advanced computational resources and support. In this issue of Molecular
Ecology Resources, Handika and Esselstyn (2024) developed an ultrafast
and memory-efficient bioinformatic tool, SEGUL, that performs common
manipulations and calculations of summary statistics on phylogenomic
datasets. SEGUL has two main features that distinguish it from other
bioinformatic programs: (1) it is based on the recently emergent,
high-performance programming language Rust, and (2) it has a GUI written
using Flutter, a cross-platform programming framework that also supports
mobile operating systems (mobile iOS, iPadOS, Android). By leveraging
and combining the power of Rust and Flutter, SEGUL achieves
significantly faster computation times and lower memory usage across
different platforms and CPU architectures compared to similar programs.
The unique and innovative features of SEGUL pave the way for a new era
of bioinformatics that can be more energy-efficient, inclusive, and
available to a broader swathe of users.