AI-Assisted Genomic Variant Detection for Public Health

The Genome Analysis Toolkit (GATK) is used by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Public Health Laboratory to identify genetic mutations in biological samples collected as part of disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. It compares aligned DNA sequencing data against a reference genome to call variants, supporting tasks like resistance analysis and outbreak strain comparison. No personally identifying information is collected or disclosed — the system operates on biological specimens, not individual health records. Results are used by laboratory scientists to inform public health responses.