Forensic mitochondrial DNA analysis & interpretation

This overview introduces the speakers and the scope of the e-learning content.

This e-learning video offers a brief historical overview of the discovery of mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA. It introduces the aspects of mtDNA biology most relevant to forensic applications, copy number, maternal inheritance, and nuclear mitochondrial DNA segments (NUMTs).

This e-learning video covers mitochondrial DNA variant calling in forensic genetics. It summarizes the mtDNA nomenclature guidelines from the ISFG DNA Commission (2014), offers a concise primer on sequence analysis by Sanger and MPS, and demonstrates mtDNA data evaluation with a focus on point heteroplasmy, length heteroplasmy, NUMTs, and damage patterns.

This e-learning video introduces mitochondrial DNA haplogrouping, outlines the principles of cladistics, and explains the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) framework used to report haplogroup estimates.

This e-learning video reviews mitochondrial DNA alignment strategies and shows why a phylogenetically informed alignment is the preferred approach in forensic genetics.