NextFlow
- NextFlow is a workflow architecture and DSL developed by the Comparative Bioinformatics Group at CRG. It allows scientists to use software containers to create scalable and reusable scientific procedures.
- NextFlow can be run locally or on AWS. For resource-intensive procedures, AWS is recommended, but instances need to be terminated after use.
- The text describes an RNA-Seq analysis workflow using NextFlow. This workflow has over 3700 changes and uses various programs. It offers significant time savings compared to starting from scratch.
- NextFlow can handle millions of samples with sufficient computing resources. 23andMe uses NextFlow for its genetic data analysis.
- For industry-scale data processing, bioinformatics workflow managers may not be the best option. Ginkgo Bioworks uses Airflow, Celery, and AWS batch for terabyte-scale data processing.
- NextFlow is well-suited for biotechnology companies and university labs.
- A key advantage of NextFlow is the separation of workflow implementation from execution platform configuration. This makes workflows portable and adaptable to different computing environments.