GBZ-base and GAF-base: Indexed pangenome file formats

GBZ-base and GAF-base enable efficient, disk-based pangenome analysis with smaller file sizes and rapid subgraph and alignment extraction.

• Why it matters: Current pangenome formats require loading entire graphs into memory, limiting interactivity and scalability for large datasets.
• What they did: The authors developed SQLite-backed formats, GBZ-base and GAF-base, supporting local subgraph extraction and alignment retrieval, with GAF-base being notably smaller.
• The result: These formats facilitate faster, more scalable pangenome analysis directly from disk, improving usability for interactive applications and large-scale studies.