Microsatellite (SSR) profiling
Definition
Detection of variation at short tandem repeat loci in the nuclear genome. SSR loci are codominant, highly polymorphic, and reproducible across labs. Published Cannabis SSR multiplexes allow variety and population discrimination analogous to human STR profiling.
Related terms
- Environmental DNA (eDNA)
- DNA extracted from an environmental matrix (soil, water, air filter) rather than from a discrete specimen. For plant forensics, eDNA metabarcoding generates...
- Metabarcoding
- High-throughput sequencing of a barcode locus from a bulk environmental or mixture sample, identifying all taxa present from a reference database. Used...
- Next-generation sequencing (NGS)
- High-throughput sequencing technologies (Illumina, Ion Torrent, Oxford Nanopore) that produce millions of reads in parallel. For plant forensics, they enable whole-chloroplast genome...
- Validation (forensic method)
- The process of demonstrating that a method is fit for its intended forensic purpose: reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity, and performance on simulated casework...
- Whole-chloroplast phylogenomics
- Using complete chloroplast genome sequences (plastomes, ~120-160 kb) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and assign an unknown plant to a geographic clade or...
Explained in
- Emerging Plant Genomics in CaseworkDetection of variation at short tandem repeat loci in the nuclear genome. SSR loci are codominant, highly polymorphic, and reproducible across labs. Published...