life-sciences

Forensic Genetics & DNA Profiling

The quantitative science of human identification through DNA — STR profiling, paternity testing, mixture deconvolution, population statistics, and degradation kinetics that transform biological evidence into courtroom certainty.

forensic geneticsDNA profilingSTR analysispaternity testingmixture analysisHardy-WeinbergDNA degradation

Forensic genetics converts biological traces into statistical identities. By amplifying Short Tandem Repeat (STR) loci through PCR and measuring allele lengths via capillary electrophoresis, analysts build genetic profiles whose random-match probabilities routinely fall below one in a quadrillion. This discipline sits at the intersection of molecular biology, population genetics, and probability theory.

These simulations let you explore the full forensic genetics pipeline. Visualize STR allele frequency distributions across populations. Calculate paternity indices and combined likelihood ratios. Deconvolve mixed DNA profiles from multiple contributors. Apply Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to estimate match probabilities. Model how environmental exposure degrades DNA fragments over time, shrinking the window of viable evidence.

5 interactive simulations

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DNA Degradation Kinetics & Fragment Size Distribution

Model time-dependent DNA degradation under environmental conditions and predict recoverable fragment sizes for forensic STR analysis

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DNA Mixture Deconvolution & Contributor Estimation

Analyze mixed DNA profiles by estimating contributor ratios, stochastic thresholds, and mixture likelihood ratios across STR loci

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Paternity Index & Likelihood Ratio

Calculate the combined paternity index and probability of paternity from STR genotype data using likelihood ratios across multiple loci

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Forensic Population Statistics & Match Probability

Calculate random match probabilities, likelihood ratios, and database search statistics using Hardy-Weinberg expectations and population correction factors

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STR Loci & Allele Frequency Analysis

Visualize Short Tandem Repeat allele frequency distributions across forensic loci and calculate per-locus heterozygosity and discrimination power