Efficiency of Using Commercial DNA Extraction Kits and the Organic Extraction Method in Removal of Polymerase Chain Reaction Inhibitors

<p>The first step in the determination of a perpetrator of a crime using DNA profiling is obtaining good quality DNA. The substrate on which the body fluid is located may contain substances that can co-extract with DNA and may inhibit subsequent PCR analysis. In this study, the efficiency of the removal of such contaminants were tested using three different methods, namely the PrepFiler DNA extraction kit, DNA IQ DNA extraction system, and the organic DNA extraction protocol. One, two, five, and ten μl of whole blood were deposited on soil, wood chips, and cotton swatches treated with bleach. DNA was extracted from all samples and controls using three extraction procedures and quantitated. The AmpflSTR Identifiler kit was used to develop genetic profiles to assess the quality of the extracted DNA. The overall recovery of DNA was reduced in all the treated samples compared to untreated ones. No DNA was recovered using the organic extraction on the soil and wood treated samples for all the sample volumes tested. Several fold reduction in the DNA recovery was noted for the PrepFiler kit and the DNA IQ system. Allelic drop-outs or complete absence of a genetic profile were identified for the soil and wood treated samples that were extracted using organic and PrepFiler extraction methods. The DNA IQ system was found to remove all the inhibitors from bleach, wood, and soil treated samples, yielding a complete genetic profile.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Criminal Justice

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• Payne, Brandi Jo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kuppareddi Balamuragan
• Dean Bertram
• Thomas Pittman

• Forensic Science and Technology
• Legal Studies
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/512

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1592