DNA Phenotyping, mRNA Body-Fluid ID and DNA Methylation Age: Advanced (UGC-NET Unit III)
Published:
Questions
30
Duration
30 min
Faculty-reviewed
0
Updated
17 May 2026
About this mock
Advanced UGC-NET Forensic Science Unit III drill on forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP), mRNA body-fluid identification and DNA methylation age estimation. Coverage includes externally visible characteristic (EVC) prediction from SNP panels: the IrisPlex 6-SNP eye-colour panel (HERC2 rs12913832, OCA2, SLC24A4, TYR, SLC45A2), the HIrisPlex 24-SNP hair-and-eye panel adding MC1R variants, and the HIrisPlex-S 41-SNP skin-colour panel of Chaitanya et al. 2018. The bank tests biogeographic ancestry inference via AISNPs, Y-chromosome and mitochondrial haplogroup assignment, and the distinction between the Erasmus MC HIrisPlex-S online tool and the Parabon SNAPSHOT system used in US investigative leads. Body-fluid identification questions cover tissue-specific mRNA transcripts (STATH for saliva, PRM1 and PRM2 for semen, MMP7 and MYOZ1 for vaginal mucosa, HBB for blood, KRT9 for skin), the Juusola and Ballantyne multiplex RT-PCR panel of FSI 2003 and 2007, miRNA profiling, and the paradoxical stability of mRNA in dried stains. DNA methylation age questions cover the Horvath 2013 multi-tissue clock (353 CpGs, Genome Biology 14:R115), the Hannum 2013 blood clock (71 CpGs), and the forensic age-prediction multiplexes built around methylated ELOVL2, F5, KLF14 and miR-29b region with median absolute deviations of 3 to 5 years in blood. Indian context covers NFSU and ICMR research and the place of FDP in modern Investigative DNA work.
Sources & references
Questions in this mock are written and verified against the following sources. Citations are recorded per question and shown in the explanation after submission.
- cited in 2 questions
Juusola J and Ballantyne J, Forensic Science International 152(1) 1 to 12 (2005)
Multiplex mRNA profiling for the identification of body fluids
Open source - cited in 1 question
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Open source - cited in 1 question
Garagnani P, Bacalini M G, Pirazzini C, Gori D, Giuliani C, Mari D, Di Blasio A M, Gentilini D, Vitale G, Collino S et al., Aging Cell 11(6) 1132 to 1134 (2012)
Methylation of ELOVL2 gene as a new epigenetic marker of age
Open source - cited in 1 question
van Oven M and Kayser M, Human Mutation 30(2) E386 to E394 (2009)
Updated comprehensive phylogenetic tree of global human mitochondrial DNA variation (Phylotree)
Open source - cited in 1 question
Kayser M and de Knijff P, Nature Reviews Genetics 12(3) 179 to 192 (2011)
Improving human forensics through advances in genetics, genomics and molecular biology
Open source - cited in 1 question
Frommer M, McDonald L E, Millar D S, Collis C M, Watt F, Grigg G W, Molloy P L, Paul C L, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 89(5) 1827 to 1831 (1992)
A genomic sequencing protocol that yields a positive display of 5-methylcytosine residues in individual DNA strands
Open source - cited in 1 question
Setzer M, Juusola J, Ballantyne J, Journal of Forensic Sciences 53(2) 296 to 305 (2008)
Recovery and stability of RNA in vaginal swabs and blood, semen, and saliva stains
Open source - cited in 1 question
Haas C, Hanson E, Anjos M J, Banemann R, Berti A, Borges E, Carracedo A et al., Forensic Science International: Genetics 8(1) 203 to 212 (2014)
RNA/DNA co-analysis from human menstrual blood and vaginal secretion stains: results of a fourth and fifth collaborative EDNAP exercise
Open source - cited in 1 question
Walsh S, Liu F, Ballantyne K N, van Oven M, Lao O, Kayser M, Forensic Science International: Genetics 7(1) 98 to 115 (2013)
IrisPlex, the value of DNA-based prediction of eye colour in forensic casework
Open source - cited in 1 question
Visser M, Kayser M, Palstra R J, Genome Research 22(3) 446 to 455 (2012)
HERC2 rs12913832 modulates human pigmentation by attenuating chromatin-loop formation between a long-range enhancer and the OCA2 promoter
Open source - cited in 1 question
Zbiec-Piekarska R, Spolnicka M, Kupiec T, Parys-Proszek A, Makowska Z, Palecka A, Kucharczyk K, Ploski R, Branicki W, Forensic Science International: Genetics 14 161 to 167 (2015)
Development of a forensically useful age prediction method based on DNA methylation analysis
Open source - cited in 1 question
Chaitanya L, Breslin K, Zuniga S et al., Forensic Science International: Genetics 35 123 to 135 (2018)
The HIrisPlex-S system for eye, hair and skin colour prediction from DNA: introduction and forensic developmental validation
Open source - cited in 1 question
Phillips C, Forensic Science International: Genetics 18 49 to 65 (2015)
Forensic genetic analysis of bio-geographical ancestry, AISNP panels and MPS workflows
Open source - cited in 1 question
Juusola J and Ballantyne J, Forensic Science International 135(2) 85 to 96 (2003)
Messenger RNA profiling, a prototype method to supplant conventional methods for body fluid identification
Open source - cited in 1 question
Hannum G, Guinney J, Zhao L, Zhang L, Hughes G, Sadda S, Klotzle B, Bibikova M, Fan J B, Gao Y et al., Molecular Cell 49(2) 359 to 367 (2013)
Genome-wide methylation profiles reveal quantitative views of human ageing rates
Open source - cited in 1 question
Sturm R A and Larsson M, Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research 22(5) 544 to 562 (2009)
Genetics of human iris colour and patterns, melanin pathway loci and population variation
Open source - cited in 1 question
Walsh S, Liu F, Wollstein A, Kovatsi L, Ralf A, Kosiniak-Kamysz A, Branicki W, Kayser M, Forensic Science International: Genetics 5(3) 170 to 180 (2011)
The IrisPlex system, validation of a multinomial logistic regression eye colour prediction tool based on six SNPs
Open source - cited in 1 question
Bekaert B, Kamalandua A, Zapico S C, Van de Voorde W, Decorte R, Epigenetics 10(10) 922 to 930 (2015)
Improved age determination of blood and teeth samples using a selected set of DNA methylation markers
Open source - cited in 1 question
Valverde P, Healy E, Jackson I, Rees J L, Thody A J, Nature Genetics 11(3) 328 to 330 (1995)
Variants of the melanocyte stimulating hormone receptor gene are associated with red hair and fair skin in humans
Open source - cited in 1 question
Horvath S, Genome Biology 14(10) R115 (2013)
DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types
Open source - cited in 1 question
Visser M, Zubakov D, Ballantyne K N, Kayser M, Forensic Science International: Genetics 5(5) 426 to 436 (2011)
mRNA-based skin identification for forensic applications
Open source - cited in 1 question
Lindenbergh A, de Pagter M, Ramdayal G, Visser M, Zubakov D, Kayser M, Sijen T, Forensic Science International: Genetics 6(5) 565 to 577 (2012)
A multiplex (m)RNA-profiling system for the forensic identification of body fluids and contact traces
Open source - cited in 1 question
Frumkin D, Wasserstrom A, Budowle B, Davidson A, Forensic Science International: Genetics 5(5) 517 to 524 (2011)
DNA methylation-based forensic tissue identification
Open source - cited in 1 question
Haas C, Hanson E, Bar W, Banemann R, Bento A M, Berti A, Borges E, Bouakaze C et al., Forensic Science International: Genetics 5(1) 21 to 26 (2011)
mRNA profiling for the identification of blood: results of a collaborative EDNAP exercise
Open source - cited in 1 question
Liu F, Visser M, Duffy D L et al., Human Genetics 132(7) 809 to 825 (2013)
HIrisPlex, a robust DNA test system for the simultaneous prediction of hair and eye colour from biological samples
Open source - cited in 1 question
Jager A C, Alvarez M L, Davis C P, Guzman E, Han Y, Way L, Walichiewicz P, Silva D, Pham N, Caves G et al., Forensic Science International: Genetics 28 52 to 70 (2017)
Developmental validation of the MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System for targeted next generation sequencing in forensic DNA casework and database laboratories
Open source - cited in 1 question
Sirugo G, Williams S M, Tishkoff S A, Cell 177(1) 26 to 31 (2019)
The missing diversity in human genetic studies
Open source - cited in 1 question
Sengupta S, Zhivotovsky L A, King R, Mehdi S Q, Edmonds C A, Chow C T, Lin A A, Mitra M, Sil S K et al., American Journal of Human Genetics 78(2) 202 to 221 (2006)
Polarity and temporality of high-resolution Y-chromosome distributions in India identify both indigenous and exogenous expansions and reveal minor genetic influence of Central Asian pastoralists
Open source - cited in 1 question
Kayser M, Forensic Science International: Genetics 18 33 to 48 (2015)
Forensic DNA phenotyping, predicting human appearance from crime scene material for investigative purposes
Open source
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Questions are written and edited by the ForensicSpot team and cited from peer-reviewed forensic textbooks, official syllabi and primary case law. Each one is verified before publishing. Detailed explanations show after you submit, so the test stays a real test. See a mistake? Tell us.
Common questions
What does the DNA Phenotyping, mRNA Body-Fluid ID and DNA Methylation Age: Advanced (UGC-NET Unit III) mock cover?+
Advanced UGC-NET Forensic Science Unit III drill on forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP), mRNA body-fluid identification and DNA methylation age estimation. Coverage includes externally visible characteristic (EVC) prediction from SNP panels: the IrisPlex 6-SNP eye-colour panel (HERC2 rs12913832, OCA2, SLC24A4, TYR, SLC45A2), the HIrisPlex 24-SNP hair-and-eye panel adding MC1R variants, and the HIrisPlex-S 41-SNP skin-colour panel of Chaitanya et al. 2018. The bank tests biogeographic ancestry inferen
How many questions and how long is the test?+
30 multiple-choice questions, 30 minutes total. Difficulty: hard. Tier: Premium.
Who is this mock for?+
Forensic science students and aspirants who want timed, exam-style practice with explanations and verified source citations on NET. Useful for postgraduate entrance preparation and for BSc / MSc forensic students testing their recall under time.
Are the questions reviewed?+
Each question carries a verified source citation. Faculty review for individual questions is in progress.
Do I need an account to take this mock?+
Yes, a free ForensicSpot account is required to start a timed attempt — this lets you save progress, see per-question explanations after submission, and track your topic-level performance over time.