Visualizing the Geography of Genetic Variants

One of the key characteristics of any genetic variant is its geographic distribution. The geographic distribution can shed light on where an allele first arose, what populations it has spread to, and in turn on how migration, genetic drift, and natural selection have acted. The distribution of a genetic variant can also be of great utility for medical/clinical geneticists. Collectively the geographic distribution of many genetic variants can reveal population structure. As a result, visual inspection of geographic maps for genetic variants is common practice in genetic studies. Here we develop an interactive visualization tool for rapidly displaying the geographic distribution of genetic variants. Through a REST API and dynamic front-end the Geography of Genetic Variants (GGV) browser provides maps of allele frequencies in populations distributed across the globe.