17 Genotyping STR Loci Using an Automated DNA Sequencer

This introduction is intended to inform the forensic scientist of the historical development of STR typing on automated sequencers, as these precedents will have a bearing on the techniques and equipment used in the present-day laboratory. The section then concludes with a brief outline of the principle of a typical automated STR assay, which applies to all of the machines described. Equipment from other manufacturers operates on a similar basis, with the exception of the multi-fluor technique: other means are adopted for the provision of a suitable size standard on single-dye sequencers.