10 million sequences of COVID-19’s genomic code have now been organized into a phylogenetic tree in the UC Santa Cruz SARS-CoV-2 Browser, which is the largest tree of genomic sequences of a single species ever assembled. This accomplishment is impressive for both the computer engineering feat of processing such a massive amount of data and the incredible dedication and coordination of the researchers involved.
“It is an astounding thing that has happened there,” said Clay Fischer, Project Manager for the UCSC Genome Browser.
All of these sequences are assembled by the researchers into a phylogenetic tree that shows the evolutionary history of the virus, with different branches representing the lineages that have mutated throughout the pandemic. This tree is powered by a software tool called UShER that was developed at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute and is hosted on the UCSC Genome Browser website.