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Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism

A Forensic Perspective

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Handbook of DNA Profiling

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Abstract

In forensic analysis, the conventional short tandem repeat (STR) markers are routinely used for examination of the biological samples. But, in the challenging casework studies such as mass disaster or natural calamities, in which DNA samples are either highly degraded or are present in very minute quantity, single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) serve as a potential marker of choice over STRs. Various techniques of SNP analysis such as molecular beacons, SNaPshot, DNA microarray, flow cytometry, and mass spectrometry opened the channels of analyzing forensic samples. Though SNPs pose certain limitations like low discrimination power, less number of alleles per loci, still, SNPs play a fundamental role in human identification, kinship analysis of genetically related individuals, complex paternity disputes, identification of suspect ethnicity, establishing biogeographical ancestry, as well as phenotypic information of missing suspect. Various databases are available for collection, integration, and analysis of SNP for their application in forensic science. As per forensic perspective, the method of standardization and validation of SNP markers, in consensus with legislators and the scientific community, need to be established.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Indore, MP, India

    Anubha Gang & Vivek Kumar Shrivastav

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  1. Anubha Gang
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  2. Vivek Kumar Shrivastav
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Scientific Officer, Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Hirak Ranjan Dash

  2. DNA Fingerprinting Unit, Forensic Science Laboratory, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Pankaj Shrivastava

  3. University of Granada, Granada, Granada, Spain

    José Antonio Lorente

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Gang, A., Shrivastav, V.K. (2021). Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism. In: Dash, H.R., Shrivastava, P., Lorente, J.A. (eds) Handbook of DNA Profiling. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9364-2_8-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9364-2_8-1

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