The Genome Analysis Toolkit, or GATK, is a software package developed by the Broad Institute for analyzing high-throughput sequencing data. It is widely used in genomics for tasks such as variant discovery, genotyping, and data preprocessing. GATK provides a set of tools that help researchers identify genetic variations in DNA sequences, making it essential for studies in personalized medicine and evolutionary biology. GATK is designed to work with data from various sequencing platforms, including Illumina and PacBio. It emphasizes best practices for data analysis, ensuring reproducibility and accuracy in results. The toolkit is continually updated to incorporate new methods and technologies, making it a valuable resource for scientists in the field of genomics.