Approaching variation: an attempt

Niederstätter,H.; Huber,G.; Parson,W.

Neutral genetic variation among individuals forms the substrate of forensic DNA profiling, a discipline where microsatellites are of major interest. Additionally, the rapid advances in the elucidation of the structure and sequence of the human genome revealed a plethora of novel markers such as polymorphisms at single nucleotide positions (SNPs) or deletions/insertions, which gained significance in forensic science and beyond. Established applications, e.g. genotyping of Y-chromosomal SNPs and sequencing of the mitochondrial control region or parts thereof, fill vital niches, and novel approaches revealing bio-geographic ancestry or physical traits attract growing attention in the forensic scene. However, none of the available genotyping methods perfectly meets all of the diverse needs in everyday genetic testing.