Bioinformatics tools are essential for analyzing next-generation sequencing (NGS) data. The summary describes the typical stages of NGS data analysis: 1. Primary analysis involves demultiplexing, base calling and quality control to produce fastq files. 2. Secondary analysis maps reads to a reference genome to produce SAM/BAM files and calls variants to produce VCF files. 3. Tertiary analysis annotates and filters variants to prioritize those relevant to disease.