Improved Analysis of DNA Short Tandem Repeats: With Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectroscopy

DNA typing and its use for human identity testing has revolutionized law enforcement investigations by allowing forensic labs to match suspects with minuscule amounts of biological evidence from a crime scene. A need exists for more rapid and cost-effective methods for high-throughput DNA analysis to process samples currently being gathered for large criminal DNA databases around the world. This project was initiated to adapt the GeneTrace technology to human identity DNA markers commonly used by forensic DNA labs, specifically short tandem repeat markers. It was determined that mass spectrometry can be a useful and effective means for high-throughput DNA analysis.