Abstract
ABSTRACT Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis of a perpetrator’s touch DNA on a victim’s skin is crucial in forensic science. This study evaluates the accuracy of male contributor assignment from skin-to-skin transferred touch DNA using STR profiling with and without whole-genome amplification (WGA). Each of 32 touch DNA samples was collected from a woman’s wrist after being grasped by a man, with each sample divided into three aliquots: one left as a non-WGA sample, another subjected to WGA via multiple displacement amplification (MDA), and the third amplified using modified T oligo-primed PCR (TOP-PCR). Ninety-six (32 × 3) STR profiles were analysed via capillary electrophoresis (CE) and massively parallel sequencing (MPS), with male contributors assigned using EuroForMix. Among the 10 Qubit-detectable samples of the 32 touch DNA samples, the accuracy rates of male contributor assignment using CE were 50% (non-WGA), 40% (MDA) and 70% (TOP-PCR) and using MPS were 100.0% (non-WGA), 50.0% (MDA), and 80.0% (TOP-PCR). For the 22 Qubit-undetectable samples, the accuracy rates using CE were 13.6% (non-WG3A), 4.5% (MDA) and 59.1% (TOP-PCR) and using MPS were 68.2% (non-WGA), 0% (MDA-) and 77.3% (TOP-PCR). In conclusion, TOP-PCR may improve the accuracy of male contributor assignment for Qubit-undetectable samples.
Published Version
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