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Mixture

Definition

A DNA sample containing contributions from two or more individuals. Identified by the presence of more than two alleles at one or more loci.

Related terms

Continuous Model
A probabilistic genotyping approach that treats peak heights as a continuous variable and models their probability under different contributor genotype combinations, as...
EuroForMix
An open-source continuous probabilistic genotyping platform developed by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Distributed as an R package and used by...
LRmix Studio
A semi-continuous probabilistic genotyping platform developed at Leiden University Medical Center. One of the first PG tools adopted by European forensic laboratories;...
MCMC (Markov Chain Monte Carlo)
A computational sampling method used by STRmix and TrueAllele to integrate the likelihood function over all possible contributor genotype combinations. Requires many...
Mixture Ratio
The proportional representation of each contributor's DNA in the mixture, estimated from the relative peak heights of non-overlapping alleles across multiple loci.
Number of Contributors (NoC)
The estimated minimum number of individuals whose DNA is present in a mixture, derived from the maximum allele count at any single...
Probabilistic Genotyping (PG)
A computational approach to mixture interpretation that models the entire electropherogram as a probabilistic output of a specified number of contributors, computing...
Stochastic Threshold (ST)
A validated minimum peak height below which allele calls are considered uncertain due to stochastic amplification effects. Profiles with peaks between the...
STRmix
A continuous probabilistic genotyping platform developed by ESR (New Zealand) and the Australian Federal Police. The most widely used PG platform in...
TrueAllele
A continuous probabilistic genotyping platform developed by Cybergenetics (Pittsburgh, PA). Used primarily in US criminal courts; available as a cloud-based service.

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