1. A computer program product for driving workflows using metadata, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to: initiate, by the processor, a workflow configured to process data; associate, by the processor, the data with metadata comprising: anchoring metadata configured to uniquely identify the workflow; common metadata comprising one or more characteristics selected from: sample characteristics, processing site characteristics, laboratory characteristics, instrument characteristics, assay characteristics, temporal characteristics, security characteristics and project characteristics; and custom metadata comprising one or more of workflow characteristics and data characteristics; and drive, by the processor, at least a portion of the workflow based on at least some of the metadata.