Abstract
DNA analysis is frequently used to acquire information from biological material to aid enquiries associated with criminal offences, disaster victim identification and missing persons investigations. As the relevance and value of DNA profiling to forensic investigations has increased, so too has the desire to generate this information from smaller amounts of DNA. Trace DNA samples may be defined as any sample which falls below recommended thresholds at any stage of the analysis, from sample detection through to profile interpretation, and can not be defined by a precise picogram amount. Here we review aspects associated with the collection, DNA extraction, amplification, profiling and interpretation of trace DNA samples. Contamination and transfer issues are also briefly discussed within the context of trace DNA analysis. Whilst several methodological changes have facilitated profiling from trace samples in recent years it is also clear that many opportunities exist for further improvements.
Highlights
This review aims to provide a brief history of trace low template DNA (DNA) and to summarize some of the methods and techniques used to collect, amplify and interpret the smallest samples encountered in forensic biology
Ballantyne et al [155,156] have shown that incorporating a small number of locked nucleic acid (LNA) bases into the mini-short tandem repeats (STR) primers can increase amplification success of trace DNA samples by over 300%, suggesting that the incorporation of LNA into primers should be examined as a tool to increase amplification of forensically relevant samples in new commercial multiplexes
Concluding remarks Surveys of forensic practitioners regarding aspects of training, proficiency testing, procedures, methods, policies, contamination prevention, data collection and communication relating to forensic trace DNA have highlighted the need for improvements in these areas [135,136]
Summary
Holt CL, Buoncristiani M, Wallin JM, Nguyen T, Lazaruk KD, Walsh PS: TWGDAM validation of AmpFlSTR PCR amplification kits for forensic DNA casework.
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