OSIRIS
Definition
Open-source STR analysis software developed by NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology), used as an independent or supplementary analysis tool in several accredited laboratories.
- Type
- Open-source STR analysis software
- Developer
- US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Use case
- Independent or supplementary STR data analysis
- Adoption
- Used in several accredited forensic laboratories
Common questions
Why would a laboratory run OSIRIS alongside its primary STR analysis software?+
Running a second, independently developed program on the same electropherogram data gives an internal cross-check that catches software-specific calling errors before a profile is reported, which strengthens the analysis for court.
Does OSIRIS interpret mixtures the same way as commercial STR software?+
It performs peak detection and allele calling from the same capillary electrophoresis data, but interpretation logic and thresholds can differ between packages, which is precisely why a discrepancy between two tools flags a result for manual review.
Related terms
- Allelic Ladder
- A multi-allele reference standard containing the full range of known alleles at each STR locus in the panel, co-injected with samples to...
- Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)
- A separation technique that resolves DNA fragments by size through a polymer-filled glass capillary under an applied electric field. Single-base resolution is...
- Drop-in
- Sporadic appearance of a low-level peak not reproducibly present in re-amplifications, typically caused by trace contamination. Distinguished from genuine minor-contributor alleles by...
- Drop-Out
- Failure of a genuine allele to amplify above the analytical threshold, typically due to low or degraded template. Creates apparent homozygosity at...
- GeneMapper ID-X
- Applied Biosystems analysis software for STR genotyping. Current-generation tool used in the majority of US, UK, and Australian forensic DNA laboratories.
- Pull-Up (Bleed-Through)
- A spectral artefact where a tall peak in one dye channel generates a spurious smaller peak in an adjacent dye channel at...
- Spectral Matrix
- A mathematical correction factor that decouples the overlapping emission spectra of the fluorescent dyes used in a multiplex STR kit. Must be...
- 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...
- Stutter Peak
- A PCR artefact appearing one repeat unit below (and occasionally above) a genuine allele peak, caused by polymerase slippage. Typically 5-15% of...