TrueAllele is a software program by Cybergenetics that analyzes DNA using statistical methods, a process called

probabilistic genotyping Probabilistic genotyping is the use of statistical methods and mathematical algorithms in DNA Profiling. It may be used instead of manual methods in difficult situations, such as when a DNA sample is very small or includes a mixture of multiple in ...

. It is used in

forensic identification Forensic identification is the application of forensic science, or "forensics", and technology to identify specific objects from the trace evidence they leave, often at a crime scene or the scene of an accident. Forensic means "for the courts". Hu ...

. The program can be used in situations unsuited to traditional methods, such as when a mixture of multiple people's DNA is in a sample. Some studies, mostly conducted by Cybergenetics' Chief Scientific Officer Mark W. Perlin, have validated the program's accuracy. In one study, TrueAllele distinguished between the genetic code of first-degree relatives with "great accuracy". The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology has noted that many validation studies were made by people affiliated with TrueAllele and are therefore not independent, demanding more independent research. In one case, TrueAllele's results differed from the results of STRMix, another probabilistic genotyping program, leading to the judge rejecting the DNA evidence. The proprietary nature of the code has led to concerns over its reliability. Unlike some similar programs, TrueAllele is not

open source Open source is source code that is made freely available for possible modification and redistribution. Products include permission to use the source code, design documents, or content of the product. The open-source model is a decentralized sof ...

, so judges and attorneys cannot check the program's code.

References

{{Law-enforcement-stub Probabilistic software Genetics software