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Short tandem repeats — how microsatellites became the currency of forensic genetics

Nature Reviews Genetics (2024)Cite this article

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Short tandem repeats (STRs), also known as microsatellites, are the primary markers of forensic genetics for developing investigative leads in criminal cases and humanitarian efforts. Their variation in length and sequence provides genetic information even in samples of low quantity and quality, enabling high resolution for identification and attribution purposes, and culminating in the development of national DNA databases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Bruce Budowle & Antti Sajantila

  2. Forensic Science Institute, Radford University, Radford, VA, USA

    Bruce Budowle

  3. Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland

    Antti Sajantila

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  1. Bruce Budowle
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  2. Antti Sajantila
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Correspondence to Bruce Budowle.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Budowle, B., Sajantila, A. Short tandem repeats — how microsatellites became the currency of forensic genetics. Nat Rev Genet (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-024-00721-1

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