TreeVector: Scalable, Interactive, Phylogenetic Trees for the Web

Background: Phylogenetic trees are complex data forms that need to be graphically displayed to be human-readable. Traditional techniques of plotting phylogenetic trees focus on rendering a single static image, but increases in the production of biological data and large-scale analyses demand scalable, browsable, and interactive trees. Methodology/Principal Findings: We introduce TreeVector, a Scalable Vector Graphics–and Java-based method that allows trees to be integrated and viewed seamlessly in standard web browsers with no extra software required, and can be modified and linked using standard web technologies. There are now many bioinformatics servers and databases with a range of dynamic processes and updates to cope with the increasing volume of data. TreeVector is designed as a framework to integrate with these processes and produce user-customized phylogenies automatically. We also address the strengths of phylogenetic trees as part of a linked-in browsing process rather than an end graphic for print. Conclusions/Significance: TreeVector is fast and easy to use and is available to download precompiled, but is also open source. It can also be run from the web server listed below or the user’s own web server. It has already been deployed on two recognized and widely used database Web sites.