(The Eurographics Association, 2025) Ståhlbom, Emilia; Molin, Jesper; Lundström, Claes; Ynnerman, Anders; Garrison, Laura; Krueger, Robert
A central challenge when visualizing genomics data is the vast difference in the scales of interest. At a detailed level, structures around the size of 150 base pairs are studied. These are positioned throughout a genome that exceeds three billion base pairs. Surprisingly, the most prominently used genome browsers have limited multiscale navigation support. As an example, zooming is controlled by inputting coordinates or by clicking buttons. In this paper, we highlight seamless multiscale interaction as an opportunity for improvement in genomics data visualization. We developed a proof-of-concept system employing methods from interactive visualization of large-scale imagery. Our results show that genomics-specific challenges can be addressed and that context-preserving zooming in genomics is feasible. We argue that the multiscale capability is an essential usability requirement for the growing and broadening user base for genome browsers, a result of the rapidly increasing footprint of genomics in routine healthcare.