U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Comparison Between Direct PCR and Extraction To Generate DNA Profiles From Samples Retrieved From Various Substrates

NCJ Number
239330
Journal
Forensic Science International: Genetics Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2012 Pages: 407-412
Author(s)
Yuvaneswari Chandramoulee Swaran; Lindsey Welch
Date Published
May 2012
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study examined the ability of direct PCR to generate DNA profiles from low amounts of control DNA retrieved from various surfaces using PowerPlex 16 HS.
Abstract
Direct PCR generates DNA profiles from samples without using the extraction process. During sample extraction, DNA may be lost due to the methods used, which can affect the quality of the DNA profile obtained. This is not the case with direct PCR, where the sample is transferred directly into the PCR tube. Here, the authors report on the ability of direct PCR to generate DNA profiles from low amounts of control DNA retrieved from various surfaces using PowerPlex 16 HS. A comparison is made with samples undergoing a preliminary extraction stage using QiaAmp DNA Micro kits. Samples subjected to direct PCR generated DNA profiles with higher peak heights and lower allele dropout on all the different substrates tested when compared to the samples subjected to extraction. The amount of DNA retrieved from each substrate also varied even though the same amount of starting material was deposited, proving that the type of substrate can affect the retrieval of DNA. (Published Abstract)