VCF File Format

Variant Call Format (VCF) is a common file format developed by the genomics scientific community. It contains information about variants found at specific positions in a reference genome.

Tumor-normal paired VCF files use the file naming format NormalSampleName_TumorSampleName_G#_P#.vcf, where # is the group (G) or pair (P) number determined by the order that samples are listed for the run.

The VCF file header includes the VCF file format version and the variant caller version and lists the annotations used in the remainder of the file. If Illumina Annotation Engine is listed, the Illumina internal annotation algorithm annotated the VCF file. The VCF header also includes the reference genome file and BAM file. The last line in the header contains the column headings for the data lines. Each of the VCF file data lines contains information about 1 variant.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.