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.
- Target
- Short tandem repeat loci, nuclear genome
- Inheritance
- Codominant
- Properties
- Highly polymorphic, reproducible across labs
- Applied field
- Cannabis variety and population discrimination
Common questions
How is SSR profiling analogous to human STR profiling?+
Both rely on counting repeat units at multiple variable loci to generate an individual or population-level genetic profile; the underlying repeat-length logic is the same, only the species and validated locus panels differ.
What can SSR profiling establish in a plant-material case?+
A validated Cannabis SSR multiplex can indicate whether two samples share a common source plant or batch, or distinguish between different cultivated varieties, supporting trafficking-network or provenance questions.
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
- Sequencing a mixture of DNA from many organisms simultaneously and using bioinformatics to assign each read to a taxon. For plant eDNA,...
- 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...