LanguageTerm (authority = ISO 639-3:2007); (type = text)
English
Abstract
Biological evidence acquired from crime scenes often contains mixtures of partial genomes from an unknown number of cells from any number of unknown contributors. Therefore, assessing the probability that a person contributed to an evidentiary item becomes a complicated combinatorial challenge, which is made more difficult in the presence of extraneous signal originating from random allele drop-in events or stutter artifacts. Not only does forensic DNA signal consist of extraneous signal, but it may exhibit significant levels of allele non-detection, often referred to as allele drop-out. Given these two sources of drop-out and the desire to stabilize inference results between laboratories, it is of interest to develop laboratory protocols aimed at reducing 1) drop-out due to sampling effects; and 2) drop-out due to detection effects.
In Phase I of the project we determined, through a DNA simulator named ValiDNA, that the optimal analytical conditions consisted of 29 PCR cycles and a 25 second injection. Once optimal analytical conditions were determined, a variety of collection/extraction pipelines were evaluated. In particular, cutting versus swabbing techniques were tested, as were silica and direct-to-PCR extraction methods. Notably, coupling a cotton swab collection with a silica-based extraction forces DNA volume partitions be processed through to PCR, while the FLOQSwab® and PicoPure® method is a ‘direct-to-PCR’ method that does not fractionate the extract. Experimentation demonstrated that there was not a significant difference between the four pre-PCR processes tested.
In conclusion, this work demonstrates that stabilizing the DNA signal acquired through PCR-based techniques is possible through the implementation of a simulation-based approach, using the laboratories’ own data to parameterize an in-silico DNA laboratory. Notably, if all laboratories choose parameters that render consistent detection of a single-copy of DNA, the evidentiary signal between laboratories will contain the same information contents, substantially improving evidential inference at a national scale. Additionally, using optimal analytical pipelines clearly demonstrates that direct PCR methods are not necessarily beneficial when attempting low-copy number interpretation; rather, multiple replicate amplifications of DNA rendered from a swab-silica pre-PCR pipeline is preferred.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Biology
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
DNA
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
DNA fingerprinting
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Forensic genetics
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_10003
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Note
Supplementary File: STR Insertion and Deletion due to Strand Slippage
Extent
1 online resource (xii, 62 pages) : illustrations
Note (type = degree)
M.S.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Camden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10005600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
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