The BED format is a text file format. It is used to store genomic regions and coordinates. It also stores associated annotations in columns. This format was developed during the Human Genome Project. It was then adopted by other sequencing projects.
This is an extension of the BED format with additional fields. These additional fields are used to add details. One field is an ID for creating links.
The BED file extension is common. It is associated with annotation track format files defined by UCSC. The BED format is compatible with software on Linux, Mac, Windows. Integrated Genome Browser supports BED files.
BED files store genomic data. The data appears in columns separated by spaces or tabs. Two common BED file formats exist. Most BED files start with “chr”. These files are readable by text editors. Some BED files start with specific bytes.
To open a BED file just double click on it. If your system has a program associated with the BED format, the file will open. You can install Integrated Genome Browser to handle BED files.
UCSC Genome Browser