Background Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an essential marker in various scientific disciplines [1]. It has been key for understanding human evolution and movement across the globe and is still used to reveal human migration and settlement [2–4]. So far, the most widely accepted phylogenetic tree of worldwide human mitochondrial DNA variation was PhyloTree, introduced by van Oven and Kayser [5]. However, it is no longer actively maintained, and the last update was released in 2016. [Read More]

Prof. Parson Walther, PhD

Amory Christina, MSc
Berger Burkhard, PhD, MSc
Berger Cordula, PhD, MSc
Bodner Martin, PhD, MSc, BSc
Ewers Lena, MSc
Prof. Hatzer-Grubwieser Petra, MD
Heidegger Antonia, PhD, MSc, BSc
Heinrich Josephin, MSc, BSc
Huber Gabriela, BSc
Huber Nicole, PhD, MSc, BSc
Niederstätter Harald, PhD, MSc
Schnaller Lisa, BSc
Sutter Charlotte, BSc
Xavier Catarina, PhD, MSc
Zimmermann Bettina, PhD, MSc

FWF-Project: Genetic Discovery of an Early Medieval Alpine Population The scope of the research project “Genetic discovery of an early medieval Alpine population” included the development and optimisation of laboratory methods to yield useful DNA results from ancient samples. Human skeletal remains recovered from a medieval cemetery (5th/6th and 12th/13th centuries), were successfully characterised using genetic analyses. The improved DNA methods were also applied in other studies and stimulated human identification cases such as the investigations on the missing Mexican students in autumn 2014. [Read More]

CaDNAP: Canine DNA Profiling in forensic casework Non-human DNA may be of equally important evidentiary value and the chance of finding relevant animal DNA is quite high given the strong social interaction of humans with pets. A successful screening method to distinguish human from non-human DNA was established earlier by analysis of the cytochrom b (cytb) gene [Parson 2000] and in some cases the determination of the biological species suffices to give the relevant answers. [Read More]

EDNAP forensic mtDNA population database (EMPOP) The Innsbruck Institute of Legal Medicine took responsibility in setting up the EDNAP forensic mtDNA population database (EMPOP), a new concept that addresses the necessary quality standards criteria for data generation, analysis and transfer quality control. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has the appealing characteristics of a multi-copy target molecule under strict uniparental (maternal) inheritance that makes it an informative marker for forensic, population and medical genetic investigations. [Read More]