The Technology

Researchers at The University of Tennessee have developed methods of searching for, ranking, and identifying unknown individuals based on DNA of relatives and DNA database search techniques. The methods compare DNA profiles from unknown biological specimens to DNA profiles of more than one family member. These methods support identification of a biological specimen using only DNA profiles obtained from related individuals. The methods comprise comparing test DNA profiles from unknown biological specimens to a family pedigree comprising target DNA profiles obtained from multiple biological specimens of family members. The method then ranks and identifies the test profile of the unknown biological specimen most likely to be the individual sought by the family corresponding to the family pedigree. Another method encompasses construction of a database or directed graph of discovered or known relationships between biological specimens and comparison to a graph representing a family pedigree to identify portions of the database or directed graph that correspond to portions of the family pedigree, in order to rank or identify one or more unknown biological specimens as most likely related to one or more family pedigrees.

Benefits:

• Method suited for applications that involve large numbers of unknown biological specimen

• Method can confirm lineage of an individual using the individual’s pedigree and DNA profiles of an arbitrary number of typed relations

• Method can compare individual(s) and pedigree(s) having associated DNA profiles of possible relatives to identify family members

• Method is capable of identifying or excluding individual(s) as family member(s) of pedigree(s) using only DNA profiles of putative relatives

• Method improves the accuracy, efficiency, and speed of identification of unknown biological specimens in disaster victim and missing person scenarios.