How it works
From a DNA file to actionable findings, in five steps.
You already have the data. Helica turns it into something a doctor can act on. Here's the full path: what we accept, what we deliver per source, and what happens between upload and answer.
Step 0 — what we accept
Source files we read
If you have a standard VCF, BAM, or CRAM, it’ll work even if your provider isn’t listed. The upload screen tells you within seconds whether we can read it.
| Provider | File | What we deliver |
|---|---|---|
| 23andMe / TTAM | genome_*.txt | Ancestry, ~70 traits, common-variant carrier flags, partial PGx (CYP2C19, limited CYP2D6) |
| Ancestry | AncestryDNA.txt | Ancestry, traits, partial PGx — chip-array depth |
| MyHeritage | MyHeritage_raw_dna_data.csv | Same as above — chip-array depth |
| Nucleus Genomics | *.vcf.gz | Full WGS depth — every category below |
| Sequencing.com | *.vcf.gz / *.bam | Full WGS depth |
| Helix | *.vcf.gz | Exome+ depth — most categories; some structural variants out of reach |
| Direct WGS | *.cram / *.bam / *.vcf.gz | Full WGS depth |
Upload your file
Drag your DNA file into the upload box. Files are scanned for size and format on upload, then encrypted at rest. We do not store the original raw file in plaintext, and we do not share data with third parties without your explicit opt-in.
We analyze
Behind the scenes, your file runs through a clinical-grade pipeline. PharmCAT 3.0.1 and Aldy 4.8 for pharmacogenomics. AnnotSV for structural variants on full-WGS files, with a credibility filter that hides DRAGEN megabase artifacts behind a toggle. T1K for HLA fine-typing at 4-digit resolution. Validated peer-reviewed PRS panels — only the ones with published validation in your ancestry.
Read your dashboard
Findings land organized by what's actionable, not what's flashy. Pharmacogenomics is the first tab — that's where most adults find something that changes a real prescription decision. Carriers next. Traits last. Polygenic risk is presented last and labeled clearly as estimates. Every card cites its source row.
Ask follow-up questions
The dashboard is the index. The chat is where most customers actually live. Type things like "What does my CYP2D6 result mean for SSRIs?" or "Am I a carrier for anything that matters if my partner also gets sequenced?" The chat reads from your variant data using a small set of typed database tools — it can only state what your variants and the validated literature support.
Bring it to your doctor
For findings that warrant a clinical conversation, generate a one-page PCP Handoff PDF in a single click. It's written for a clinician's seven-minute visit: genotype, phenotype, CPIC consensus call, affected medications with current CPIC level, direct citation, and the pipeline used. Your prescriber gets clinical formatting; you keep the plain-English version for the conversation.
Reanalysis — ongoing
Genomes don’t change. The science around them does.
A variant that was “uncertain significance” in 2022 may be reclassified to “likely pathogenic” in 2026 as more cases get reported to ClinVar. Peer-reviewed reanalysis studies show 13–22% additional findings on the same genome over a few-year window.
Helica re-runs your file every quarter against the latest ClinVar, CPIC, and PGS Catalog releases. If anything changes, you get an email with the diff — “Your CYP2D6 finding was reclassified. Here’s what changed and why.”
You don’t pay for the reanalysis; it’s the actual subscription value.
Source: PMC7338758 — Genomic reanalysis additional yield (2020)
Don’t have a DNA file yet?
Two reasonable paths.
1. Order a chip-array kit and upload when it arrives
Ancestry or MyHeritage will deliver a raw file in 2–4 weeks. Free tier on Helica covers ancestry, traits, and a starter PGx finding.
2. Wait for our bundled clinical WGS option
A “Helica Clinical” kit pairs a $499 spit-kit with twelve months of the Clinical tier — designed for customers who want full-depth findings and no sequencing-provider middleman. Target: late 2026.
Join the waitlistWe’ll never push you to buy a kit you don’t need. The chip-array file you already have is a fine starting point.
Ready
Pull the file off your hard drive.
If you have a 23andMe export sitting in a Downloads folder somewhere, that's the starting point. Two findings free. No credit card.