Ancestry informative markers (AIMs) are polymorphisms that have contrasting frequencies between populations from different geographic areas. Questions that forensic researchers might ask are: 1)\u00a0Can we distinguish between just continental populations or can we get to regional populations as well? and 2)\u00a0What can we learn about admixed populations?<\/p>\n
Dr Chris Phillips, forensics researcher at the University of Santiago de Compostela, is working with a global consortium to develop a custom AIMs panel<\/a> for the Precision ID NGS System for human identification<\/a>. He describes how they have selected those SNPs and are generating population analysis systems.<\/p>\n Watch the video to hear how AIMs can be used to generate investigative leads<\/a> when there is no match in the database and how they might be used as an alternative to or a way to corroborate an eyewitness account.<\/p>\n