Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 28, 2026
11:02
Detecting Somatic Genetic Alterations in Tumor Specimens by Exon Capture and Massively Parallel Sequencing
Published on: October 18, 2013
20.0K
Increasing the reach of forensic genetics with massively parallel sequencing
Bruce Budowle1,2, Sarah E Schmedes3, Frank R Wendt3
1Center for Human Identification, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, CBH-250, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA. bruce.budowle@unthsc.edu.
Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology
|June 21, 2017
Summary
Massively parallel sequencing significantly enhances forensic genetics by enabling analysis of more genetic markers and sample types. This technology promises advancements in areas like molecular autopsy and microbial forensics.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Forensic genetics is crucial for analyzing biological evidence in legal matters.
- The field has established high standards for performance and quality.
- Advancements in sequencing technology are poised to expand forensic capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the features of massively parallel sequencing (MPS).
- To explore the impact of MPS on forensic genetics.
- To highlight immediate applications of MPS in forensic science.
Main Methods:
- Review of massively parallel sequencing technology.
- Discussion of its application in forensic genetics.
- Identification of key areas for immediate impact.
Main Results:
- MPS offers increased numbers and types of genetic markers.
- Higher sample throughput and the ability to target diverse organisms are key benefits.
- Immediate impacts are expected in molecular autopsy, microbial forensics, and differentiating monozygotic twins.
Conclusions:
- Massively parallel sequencing represents a substantial expansion of forensic genetics capabilities.
- This technology enhances the analysis of biological evidence for legal investigations.
- Forensic genetics continues to evolve, improving its service to the justice system.
Related Concept Videos
03:00Next-generation Sequencing
99.5K
The first human genome sequencing project cost $2.7 billion and was declared complete in 2003, after 15 years of international cooperation and collaboration between several research teams and funding agencies. Today, with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, the cost and time of sequencing a human genome have dropped over 100 fold.
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features....
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features....
99.5K
01:57Sanger Sequencing
776.0K
DNA sequencing is a fundamental technique that is routinely used in the biological sciences. This method can be applied to a range of questions at different scales - from the sequencing of a cloned DNA fragment or the study of a mutation in a gene up to whole-genome sequencing. However, despite the widespread use of sequencing today, it was not until 1977 that Fredrick Sanger and his collaborators developed the chain-termination method to decode DNA sequences. It relies on the separation of a...
776.0K
01:29Modern Molecular Taxonomy
775
Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
775
02:02Genomics
41.1K
Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
41.1K