DNA fingerprinting by hybridisation to oligonucleotide arrays

Most methods for analysing variation in DNA sequences rely on gel electrophoresis, a method which is difficult to automate and to quantify. Hybridisation to oligonucleotides bound to a solid surface offers alternatives, with the advantage that they can be more readily automated and lend themselves to powerful statistical analytical procedures. In this paper, we discuss a number of different ways in which oligonucleotide arrays could be used for DNA typing for applications in forensic science.