A field guide to the file formats that flow through a genomic pipeline: what each one holds, shown with a small real example, plus the two traps behind most genomics bugs and why the formats stay small on disk and fast to query. Written to be readable whether or not you work in the field.
Genomic Data Formats
Genomics is a data discipline, and it shows in the files. A plain tour of the specialized, often startlingly efficient formats a genomic pipeline touches, from FASTQ and FASTA to VCF, BED, and GFF3, each with a tiny example so it makes sense even if you have never opened one.