ESS (European Standard Set)
Definition
The set of STR loci required for profiles entered into EU national databases participating in Prüm cross-border DNA exchange. Currently aligned with CODIS 20 at 16 core loci (ESS17, with two amelogenin and gender markers), enabling cross-jurisdictional database searches.
- Standard loci count
- 17 loci (ESS17) plus amelogenin gender marker
- Primary use
- Cross-border DNA profile comparison under EU Prüm Decisions
- Jurisdictional scope
- EU national databases participating in Prüm cross-border DNA exchange
Common questions
What are the ESS loci used for?+
The ESS loci are the standard genetic markers used for DNA database sharing across European countries. They allow forensic labs in different jurisdictions to compare DNA profiles and search each other's databases through the EU Prüm Decisions framework.
How many loci are in the European Standard Set?+
The ESS currently contains 17 loci (ESS17) plus amelogenin, a gender marker. This standardization ensures that DNA profiles from different EU member states can be reliably compared and matched across borders.
Is the ESS the same as CODIS?+
No. The ESS is the set of markers mandated for cross-border EU database exchanges under the Prüm Decisions. CODIS is the US FBI Combined DNA Index System. The two systems share 16 core loci in common, which enables some cross-jurisdictional compatibility, but they are separate standards maintained by different authorities.
Related terms
- Amelogenin
- A gene on both the X and Y chromosomes used for sex determination in forensic STR kits. The X-allele amplicon is approximately...
- CODIS
- The FBI's Combined DNA Index System, the US national STR-based forensic DNA database. Contains profiles from convicted offenders, arrestees, and unidentified crime-scene...
- CODIS (Combined DNA Index System)
- The FBI-managed software architecture for the US national forensic DNA database, operating through a three-tier structure of local (LDIS), state (SDIS), and...
- DNA Technology Bill 2019
- India's pending legislation proposing the creation of a national DNA database (NDDB) and a profiling regulatory framework. Passed the Lok Sabha in...
- Heterozygosity
- The proportion of individuals in a population who carry two different alleles at a locus. A locus with high heterozygosity is more...
- INTERPOL DNA Gateway
- INTERPOL's secure server for cross-national DNA profile comparison, hosted in Lyon. As of 2023, fifty-nine member countries contribute profiles.
- NDIS (National DNA Index System)
- The uppermost tier of the US CODIS architecture, holding profiles contributed by all US federal and state DNA database programs. As of...
- Prüm Decisions
- EU Council Decisions 2008/615/JHA and 2008/616/JHA requiring EU member states to allow automated cross-border DNA database comparison using a hit/no-hit system.
- SE33 (ACTBP2)
- An extremely polymorphic STR locus with over 90 known alleles, included in ESS17 but not in CODIS 20. Provides high discriminatory power...
- STR (Short Tandem Repeat)
- A genomic locus where a 2, 7 base-pair unit is repeated in tandem a variable number of times between individuals. The variation...
- VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeat)
- A tandemly repeated genomic sequence with a longer repeat unit (typically 10, 60 bp) than an STR. VNTRs were used in the...
Explained in these topics
- CODIS 20, the European Standard Set and India's NDIS Locus StandardsThe set of STR loci mandated for cross-border DNA database comparison under the EU Prüm Decisions. Currently at 17 loci (ESS17) plus amelogenin.
- Polymorphism, Heredity and the Markers that Identify a PersonThe set of STR loci required for profiles entered into EU national databases participating in Prüm cross-border DNA exchange. Currently aligned with CODIS 20 a...