5. A computer-implemented method for managing genomic data processing workflows using metadata, the method comprising: initiating a workflow, wherein the workflow comprises one or more genomic analysis operations selected from the group consisting of: base calling, variant calling, phylogenetic analysis, primer design, and amplicon design; receiving a request to manage the workflow using metadata comprising: anchoring metadata, wherein the anchoring metadata uniquely identify the workflow by using an alphanumeric string; common metadata comprising one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of: sample characteristics, processing site characteristics, laboratory characteristics, instrument characteristics, assay characteristics, temporal characteristics, security characteristics and project characteristics; and custom metadata comprising workflow characteristics and/or data characteristics; and the method further comprising: associating the metadata with the genomic data; and driving at least a portion of the workflow based on the metadata, wherein driving the workflow based at least in part on the metadata comprises: determining new data and/or at least one new processing setting to use in connection with repeating at least a portion of the workflow; and repeating the portion of the workflow using the new data and/or the new processing setting, wherein the determining is based at least in part on the common metadata and/or the custom metadata; and wherein the new data and/or the new processing setting comprise a modified number of permissible gaps in an alignment based at least in part on an average sequence length of input sequence data.
5. A computer-implemented method for managing genomic data processing workflows using metadata, the method comprising: initiating a workflow, wherein the workflow comprises one or more genomic analysis operations selected from the group consisting of: base calling, variant calling, phylogenetic analysis, primer design, and amplicon design; receiving a request to manage the workflow using metadata comprising: anchoring metadata, wherein the anchoring metadata uniquely identify the workflow by using an alphanumeric string; common metadata comprising one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of: sample characteristics, processing site characteristics, laboratory characteristics, instrument characteristics, assay characteristics, temporal characteristics, security characteristics and project characteristics; and custom metadata comprising workflow characteristics and/or data characteristics; and the method further comprising: associating the metadata with the genomic data; and driving at least a portion of the workflow based on the metadata, wherein driving the workflow based at least in part on the metadata comprises: determining new data and/or at least one new processing setting to use in connection with repeating at least a portion of the workflow; and repeating the portion of the workflow using the new data and/or the new processing setting, wherein the determining is based at least in part on the common metadata and/or the custom metadata; and wherein the new data and/or the new processing setting comprise a modified number of permissible gaps in an alignment based at least in part on an average sequence length of input sequence data. 10. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the custom metadata change at least in part in accordance with each of the genomic analysis operation(s) performed on the data to which the custom metadata correspond.