Automated extraction of DNA from reference samples from various types of biological materials on the Qiagen BioRobot EZ1 Workstation

Typing of 49 autosomal SNPs by single base extension and capillary electrophoresis for forensic genetic testing

We describe a method for simultaneous amplification of 49 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by multiplex PCR and detection of the SNP alleles by single base extension (SBE) and capillary electrophoresis. All the SNPs may be amplified from only 100 pg of genomic DNA and the length of the amplicons range from 65 to 115 bp. The high sensitivity and the short amplicon sizes make the assay very suitable for typing of degraded DNA samples, and the low mutation rate of SNPs makes the assay very useful for relationship testing. Combined, these advantages make the assay well suited for disaster victim identifications, where the DNA from the victims may be highly degraded and the victims are identified via investigation of their relatives. The assay was validated according to the ISO 17025 standard and used for routine case work in our laboratory.

High-throughput sequencing of core STR loci for forensic genetic investigations using the Roche Genome Sequencer FLX platform

The analysis and profiling of short tandem repeat (STR) loci is routinely used in forensic genetics. Current methods to investigate STR loci, including PCR-based standard fragment analyses and capillary electrophoresis, only provide amplicon lengths that are used to estimate the number of STR repeat units. These methods do not allow for the full resolution of STR base composition that sequencing approaches could provide. Here we present an STR profiling method based on the use of the Roche Genome Sequencer (GS) FLX to simultaneously sequence multiple core STR loci. Using this method in combination with a bioinformatic tool designed specifically to analyze sequence lengths and frequencies, we found that GS FLX STR sequence data are comparable to conventional capillary electrophoresis-based STR typing. Furthermore, we found DNA base substitutions and repeat sequence variations that would not have been identified using conventional STR typing.

Automated Extraction of DNA from Blood and PCR Setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO Liquid Handler for Forensic Genetic STR Typing of Reference Samples

We have implemented and validated automated protocols for DNA extraction and PCR setup using a Tecan Freedom EVO liquid handler mounted with the Te-MagS magnetic separation device (Tecan, Mannedorf, Switzerland). The protocols were validated for accredited forensic genetic work according to ISO 17025 using the Qiagen MagAttract DNA Mini M48 kit (Qiagen GmbH, Hilden, Germany) from fresh whole blood and blood from deceased individuals. The workflow was simplified by returning the DNA extracts to the original tubes minimizing the risk of misplacing samples. The tubes that originally contained the samples were washed with MilliQ water before the return of the DNA extracts. The PCR was setup in 96-well microtiter plates. The methods were validated for the kits: AmpFSTR Identifier, SGM Plus and Yfiler (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA), GenePrint FFFL and PowerPlex Y (Promega, Madison, Wl). The automated protocols allowed for extraction and addition of PCR master mix of 96 samples within 3.5 h. In conclusion, we demonstrated that (1) DNA extraction with magnetic beads and (2) PCR setup for accredited, forensic genetic short tandem repeat typing can be implemented on a simple automated liquid handler leading to the reduction of manual work, and increased quality and throughput.