REPORT ON THE 2ND EDNAP COLLABORATIVE STR EXERCISE

The European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP) has previously carried out co llaborative exercises to determine which STR systems will produce resu lts that can be reproduced by different laboratories. The first EDNAP exercise involving STR systems focused on different types of loci: a s imple locus with six common alleles (HUMTHO1) and a complex locus with >35 alleles (ACTBP2). Generally the simpler STR system was found to b e readily amenable for use across a wide range of different technologi es, whereas a more complex locus presented difficulties. The second ED NAP STR exercise was intended to take the process of investigation a s tage further. Some laboratories are developing automation, coupled wit h fluorescent methods of detection and multiplex applications, whereas others use manual methods involving visual detection techniques such as silver staining. The purpose of this exercise was to determine whet her loci amenable to multiplexing with automation (as a quadruplex rea ction) could also be successfully used with manual methods, either by multiplexing in duplex reactions or alternatively by using just a sing le pair of PCR primers.