Melting curve SNP (McSNP) genotyping: a useful approach for diallelic genotyping in forensic science

The increasing availability of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and Deletion/Insertion Polymorphisms (DIPs), as well as the outstanding progress in SNP genotyping technologies, will impact forensics profoundly. We have developed a new method for genotyping SNPs and DIPs, which is based on the determination of melting curve profiles of amplified DNA in solution. We have termed this method Melting curve SNP (McSNP) genotyping. Melting curve profiles are composites of the particular melting temperatures (Tm) of the individual fragments that comprise the DNA sample. Simple mixtures of DNA can be resolved in a very robust and efficient fashion, since the samples can be scored in the plates in which they were amplified with no or very few post-PCR manipulations. As such, McSNP is one of the least expensive genotyping methods available and can and should be useful in forensic science.