A wide variety of DNA-containing samples have been used for forensic purposes. Despite its common occurrence at crime scenes and with unidentified remains, rootless hair is generally considered a poor source of DNA for forensic analysis.
We present the results of (1) a comprehensive survey of the amount and characteristics of fragmented DNA present in rootless hair from a large panel of human subjects, (2) a genotype calling strategy designed for the DNA information available from single rootless hairs, enabling forensic genetic genealogy from single rootless hairs, and (3) a technique for comparing the genetic information from a single hair to DNA obtained from a suspect. This technique is capable of confirming or rejecting if the suspect matches the hair with P-values greater than what is obtainable by traditional STR-markers, using samples that are insufficient for PCR-based STR-typing.
We will demonstrate how this approach has been applied in casework allowing the DNA from a single crime-scene hair to identify a suspect using forensic genetic genealogy and test the suspect’s DNA via direct comparison to the hair DNA. We will also discuss technical limitations and other important caveats.
A wide variety of DNA-containing samples have been used for forensic purposes. Despite its common occurrence at crime scenes and with unidentified remains, rootless hair is generally considered a poor source of DNA for forensic analysis.
We present the results of (1) a comprehensive survey of the amount and characteristics of fragmented DNA present in rootless hair from a large panel of human subjects, (2) a genotype calling strategy designed for the DNA information available from single rootless hairs, enabling forensic genetic genealogy from single rootless hairs, and (3) a technique for comparing the genetic information from a single hair to DNA obtained from a suspect. This technique is capable of confirming or rejecting if the suspect matches the hair with P-values greater than what is obtainable by traditional STR-markers, using samples that are insufficient for PCR-based STR-typing.
We will demonstrate how this approach has been applied in casework allowing the DNA from a single crime-scene hair to identify a suspect using forensic genetic genealogy and test the suspect’s DNA via direct comparison to the hair DNA. We will also discuss technical limitations and other important caveats.
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