MPKin-YSTR: Interpretation of Y chromosome STR haplotypes for missing persons cases.

Y chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (STR) haplotypes have been used in assisting forensic investigations primarily for identification and male lineage determination. The current SWGDAM interpretation guidelines for Y-STR typing provide helpful guidance on those purposes but do not address the issue of kinship analysis with Y-STR haplotypes. Because of the high mutation rate of Y-STRs, there are complex missing person cases in which inconsistent Y-STR haplotypes between true paternal lineage relatives will arise and cases with two or more male references in the same lineage and yet differ in their haplotypes.

A standalone humanitarian DNA identification database system to increase identification of human remains of foreign nationals.

The identification of missing persons and human remains is a worldwide problem which has been exacerbated with increased migrations and rampant human trafficking and smuggling cases. DNA typing and DNA databases are primary tools and resources used to help identify human remains and missing persons. The foundation of most, if not all, national DNA database systems, e.

The lot-to-lot variability in the mitochondrial genome of controls.

Current research in the biomedical field has illustrated how cell lines used as reference standards can change over time and, more importantly, can affect research and diagnostic results obtained from these cell lines. With the use of increasingly sensitive and highly resolving technologies (e.g.

Development and validation of a novel multiplexed DNA analysis system, InnoTyper 21.

We report here a novel multiplexed DNA analysis system consisting of 20 Alu markers and Amelogenin for analysis of highly degraded forensic biological samples. The key to the success of the system in obtaining results from degraded samples is the primer design yielding small amplicon size (60-125bp) for all 20 markers. The markers included in the InnoTyper 21 system are bi-allelic, having two possible allelic states (insertion or null) and thus termed INNULs.

Sequencing the hypervariable regions of human mitochondrial DNA using massively parallel sequencing: Enhanced data acquisition for DNA samples encountered in forensic testing.

Mitochondrial DNA testing is a useful tool in the analysis of forensic biological evidence. In cases where nuclear DNA is damaged or limited in quantity, the higher copy number of mitochondrial genomes available in a sample can provide information about the source of a sample. Currently, Sanger-type sequencing (STS) is the primary method to develop mitochondrial DNA profiles.

Methodologic quality and genotyping reproducibility in studies of tumor necrosis factor -308 G-->A single nucleotide polymorphism and bacterial sepsis: implications for studies of complex traits.

Objective: Studies of genetic associations with common diseases, such as between cytokine gene polymorphisms and severe bacterial sepsis, have reached conflicting conclusions. Failure to follow methodologic standards may have contributed to discordant findings. The -308 G-->A transition in the tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter has been genotyped by a variety of methods.