Research Progress of Forensic Genetics
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Genetics and Genomics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 241
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Worldwide, forensic genetics has contributed substantially to solving cases through human identification and the determination of the biological origin of body fluids. This progress has been supported by continuous scrutiny, critical evaluation, and the development of new technologies for DNA analysis. With these advances, it is now possible to examine a wide range of genetic markers, from the commonly used short tandem repeats (STRs) to single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Today, next-generation sequencing (NGS) is widely implemented in forensic genetics laboratories. In addition, new sequencing approaches are emerging, such as nanopore sequencing, and are expected to be incorporated into routine forensic workflows in the near future. These technologies enable the analysis of complex samples, including low-template and degraded DNA. Moreover, now is possible to infer certain externally visible characteristics, such as eye and hair color, and even to estimate an individual’s age through genetic and epigenetic analyses. Therefore, more information can now be obtained from evidentiary samples even when no reference sample is available for comparison. Finally, it is important to recognize that these advances also introduce new challenges, including the interpretation of DNA mixtures, the analysis of touch DNA, and the management and interpretation of genomic data.
Prof. Dr. Mariano Guardado-Estrada
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- forensic genetics
- genomics
- phenotyping
- DNA sequencing
- pedigree
- bioinformatics
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