igenom

igenom is a fictional cloud-based platform designed to illustrate how contemporary genomic data analysis systems are described in reference works. It provides an end-to-end environment for processing, analyzing, and sharing genomic data, from raw sequencing reads to annotated results. The platform emphasizes interoperability, supporting common file formats such as FASTQ, BAM/CRAM, and VCF, and it facilitates reproducible analyses through containerized pipelines and versioned workflows.

Core components include modular analysis pipelines, a workflow manager, data management tools, and APIs for programmatic access. Users can import data from sequencing centers or external repositories, configure analyses using graphical interfaces or code, and run scalable computations on public or private cloud infrastructure. The system aims to balance ease of use for researchers with the flexibility required by advanced users.

Security and governance are central concerns. igenom offers role-based access control, audit logging, encryption in transit and at rest, and the ability to isolate projects to meet data protection requirements. It supports compliance with typical laboratory and clinical data standards when deployed in regulated environments.

Use cases include clinical genomics pipelines for variant discovery, population genetics and metagenomics research, and educational settings that teach reproducible bioinformatics. As a fictional exemplar, igenom helps discuss design considerations such as data provenance, portability, cost management, and interoperability with established data formats and tools.