Canine DNA profiling in forensic casework - joining efforts for standardization

Berger,C.; Berger,B.; Hellmann,A.; Schleenbecker,U.; Rohleder,U.; Hecht,W.; Parson,W.

Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analyses of canine cells have been applied successfully in a number of forensic cases and recently efforts were made for applying well characterized STR markers for forensic analyses. But the existence of great inter-laboratory variability indicates that the canine forensic field stil faces the urgent need for standardization and harmonization. In particular, the nature and selection of DNA markers need to be evaluated and allelic ladders as well as reference materials should be available to enable interlaboratory comparisons. Additionally a generally compatible allele nomenclature and an agreement on standardized statistical calculation methods adopted for the specific genetic characteristics of dog populations need thorough considerations.