Visualizing Enteric Pathogen WGS Data with MicrobeTrace

Visualizing Enteric Pathogen WGS Data with MicrobeTrace

MicrobeTrace Course Description

This course provides essential information about MicrobeTrace for integrating and visualizing Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) data and related epidemiologic metadata. Developed specifically for foodborne and enteric disease epidemiologists, the course includes hands-on tutorials for practical experience with the tool.

The training addresses a priority topic identified through collaboration with the Food Safety CoE WGS working group. It empowers epidemiologists with accessible, interactive content to effectively utilize MicrobeTrace when they need to visualize genomic and epidemiological data. This course is ideal for use before or during first-time implementation of MicrobeTrace.

Learning Goals

Goal: After completing the course, users will know how and when to use MicrobeTrace to visualize WGS data and related metadata.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify contexts where MicrobeTrace would be beneficial
  • Explain the capabilities and limitations of MicrobeTrace
  • Access MicrobeTrace and related documentation
  • Utilize MicrobeTrace to visualize WGS data and related metadata

Time Commitment: 1 hour

About MicrobeTrace

MicrobeTrace is an intuitive, powerful, free web-browser-based application that combines genomic and epidemiological data to display customizable networks and other visualizations. This interactive tool renders data from high-risk contact networks through an easy-to-use graphical interface, allowing users to customize network visualizations according to supplemental data sources and mathematical inferences, including probable transmission pathways.

As a highly responsive visual sequence analytics tool, MicrobeTrace reduces the gap between data production and analysis, helping users discover, understand, and display relationships (links) between patients (nodes). The application can be deployed on laptops for use in locations without internet access, reducing both startup costs and analysis time.

System Requirements

MicrobeTrace runs on any computer using Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge. The application is not compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer. While other browsers may function, they have not been comprehensively tested.