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SIMULTANEOUS CALCULATION OF STR PROFILE
FREQUENCIES USING MORE THAN 150 POPULATION STUDIES – DEVELOPMENT OF A FORENSIC
CASEWORK AND RESEARCH TOOL
Brian Burritt
San Diego Police Department
An excel spreadsheet that will
calculate STR profile frequencies from any number of population studies has
been developed. Currently, the program
contains data from more than 150 population studies that contain, at a minimum
the nine Profiler Plus STR loci. The
program was developed to aid the criminalist in quickly finding available
population studies and performing DNA profile frequencies calculations with
these studies. The compilation may be
used to help demonstrate the worldwide use of STR testing. Additionally, the program can be useful as a
research tool. Studies were carried out
that addressed several assumptions that may be made regarding commonly used
population studies. One assumption
investigated, which is elluded to in NRC II, is that a DNA profile frequency
estimate is likely within one order of magnitude from the “true” value. Another assumption investigated is that the
presentation of Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic population
frequencies gives a wide range of values that encompass the population frequencies
of many of the world’s populations.
Population data generated with this program supports both of these
assumptions. Additional population
studies will be added as they become available. Copies of the program may be obtained from the presenter by email
(bburritt@pd.sandiego.gov).
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