Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41957706›Full record

ArticleBMC bioinformatics2026

Biochef: a client-side WebAssembly-based workflow builder for genomic data analysis.

Joaquim Rosa, João Andrade, Jorge Miguel Silva, José Luis Oliveira

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC bioinformatics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Joaquim RosaIEETA/DETI, LASI, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. joaquimvr15@ua.pt.
João AndradeIEETA/DETI, LASI, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. joao.andrade06@ua.pt.
Jorge Miguel SilvaIEETA/DETI, LASI, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. jorge.miguel.ferreira.silva@ua.pt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6331-6091
José Luis OliveiraIEETA/DETI, LASI, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6672-6176

Funding

European Commission 101081813Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia 00127-IEETA
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGenomics analyses often rely on command-line tools executed via remote servers, imposing usability barriers for non-technical users and raising privacy concerns. WebAssembly (WASM) enables native-code execution directly in web browsers, eliminating installations and data transfers.

resultsWe introduce BioChef, a client-side genomic workflow platform that uses WASM. BioChef compiles a genomics toolkit into browser-executable modules and exposes them through a drag-and-drop GUI designed to be intuitive. The system provides real-time validation, flexible input methods (form-based and JSON), intermediate step inspections, and reproducible workflows exportable as bash scripts or configuration files. Performance benchmarks across major browsers (Chromium, Gecko, WebKit) demonstrate rapid initialization (LCP 0.583 s), responsive interactivity (INP 30.5 ms), minimal layout shifts (CLS 0.01), and acceptable overhead (average 181.5 ms initial WASM module load). Although browser execution introduced performance penalties (

conclusionsBioChef shows how WebAssembly on the client side can democratize genomic data processing, ensuring privacy, reproducibility and ease of use without external dependencies. To our knowledge, this is the first fully client-side, graphical genomic workflow environment powered by WASM.

Indexed as

GenomicsSoftwareWorkflowInternetUser-Computer InterfaceBioinformatics workflowsGenomic data processingHuman-computer interactionWebAssemblyWeb-based applicationsWorkflow management systems

Identifiers

PMID41957706
PMCPMC13173965

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.