Unlocking Family Ties With DNA Data

Ever heard about a cool method called investigative genetic genealogy (IGG)? It's a big deal for finding DNA matches from crime scenes or disaster victims. With new tech, we can now check millions of SNPs (tiny DNA differences) at once. But, there are some issues like bad quality samples, high costs, and privacy worries. In this study, scientists tested how well two tools (IBIS and KING) can find relationships up to the seventh degree. They used whole genome sequencing data from two Chinese families and made some samples low-quality. They also created samples that act like SNP array data, which has less info but is easier to get. Through experiments, the scientists showed that the tools and processes work well even with low-quality samples. Plus, they found that special site filtering can boost how accurate kinship is found. This means more proof is needed for future studies.