Advancing forensic SNP typing: Insights from an interlaboratory study of the FORCE panel

Published

April 21, 2026

Author(s)

Andreas Tillmar, Kimberly Andreaggi, Adam Staadig, Christina Amory, David Ballard, Erik Francisco Bergseth, Claus Børsting, Selena Cisana, Michael Coble, Lucinda Bella Davenport, Maria de la Puente, Katherine Gettings, Erin Gorden, Kelly Grisedale, Jennifer Daniels-Higgenbotham, Rachel Houston, Sheree HUGHES, Reet Jarving, Kevin Kiesler, Jonathan King, Maria Victoria Lareu, Odile Loreille, Dennis McNevin, Melissa Muenzler, Walther Parson, Vania Pereira, Christopher Phillips, Jorge Ruiz-Ramirez, Maarja Sadam, Jennifer Snedeker, Carolyn Steffen, Monika Stoljarova-Bibb, Peter Vallone, Jodie Ward, Jessica Watson, Catarina Xavier, Daniel Kling, Charla Marshall

Abstract

This study evaluated the ability to produce FORensic Capture Enrichment (FORCE) genotypes using amplicon-based and capture-based enrichment assays. Fifteen laboratories from three different continents participated in this study, choosing from one of four manufacturer-developed enrichment assays to complete the experiments, setting their own parameters for sequencing and other user-defined steps to accommodate their own preferences and expertise. A total of eighteen methods were evaluated, as three laboratories performed two methods. Twelve DNA samples were prepared and distributed to the laboratories for testing: five control DNA samples, a dilution series ranging from 10 ng to 0.03 ng, two degraded DNA samples with 200 bp and 150 bp average fragment lengths, and one inhibited sample spiked with humic acid. The results showed that all four assays were successful in producing full FORCE SNP genotypes from high quality samples. However, significant differences between and within assays were observed. Read count variability and enrichment type led to significant differences in call rate. An amplicon-based assay produced high SNP call rates at 0.03 ng DNA input, and capture and single primer extension assays produced consistently high SNP call rates from degraded samples with 150-200 bp fragments. Future research to optimize laboratory parameters may reduce the variation in SNP data, so that labs may equitably adopt SNP methods to make use of these powerful forensic markers.

Citation

Forensic Science International: Genetics

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2026.103513

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Keywords

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS), DNA Sequencing

Citation

Tillmar, A. , Andreaggi, K. , Staadig, A. , Amory, C. , Ballard, D. , Bergseth, E. , Børsting, C. , Cisana, S. , Coble, M. , Davenport, L. , de la Puente, M. , Gettings, K. , Gorden, E. , Grisedale, K. , Daniels-Higgenbotham, J. , Houston, R. , HUGHES, S. , Jarving, R. , Kiesler, K. , King, J. , Lareu, M. , Loreille, O. , McNevin, D. , Muenzler, M. , Parson, W. , Pereira, V. , Phillips, C. , Ruiz-Ramirez, J. , Sadam, M. , Snedeker, J. , Steffen, C. , Stoljarova-Bibb, M. , Vallone, P. , Ward, J. , Watson, J. , Xavier, C. , Kling, D. and Marshall, C. (2026), Advancing forensic SNP typing: Insights from an interlaboratory study of the FORCE panel, Forensic Science International: Genetics, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2026.103513, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=961133 (Accessed September 18, 2026)

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