123FASTQ: an intuitive and efficient tool for preprocessing Illumina FASTQ reads

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized genetic research, but preprocessing raw sequencing reads remains a crucial step. Existing tools for quality control (QC) and trimming have limitations, leading to fragmented workflows. In this article, we present 123FASTQ, a comprehensive and user-centric software solution that integrates QC analysis, trimming, and format conversion in a userfriendly interface. 123FASTQ combines the advantages of existing tools while addressing their limitations. It offers improved QC analysis with insightful visualizations, semi-automated trimming recommendations based on QC results, and various trimming options. The software also supports different file formats and provides efficient performance. By simplifying NGS data preprocessing, 123FASTQ enables researchers to utilize high-quality reads for downstream analyses. It is cross-platform and freely available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/project-123ngs/ .