DNA profiles from fingermarks
- Resource Type
- article
- Authors
- Jennifer E.L. Templeton; Adrian Linacre
- Source
- BioTechniques, Vol 57, Iss 5, Pp 259-266 (2014)
- Subject
- direct PCR
DNA profiling
fingermarks
NGM SElect
Profiler Plus
short tandem repeats
Biology (General)
QH301-705.5
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1940-9818
0736-6205
Criminal investigations would be considerably improved if DNA profiles could be routinely generated from single fingermarks. Here we report a direct DNA profiling method that was able to generate interpretable profiles from 71% of 170 fingermarks. The data are based on fingermarks from all 5 digits of 34 individuals. DNA was obtained from the fingermarks using a swab moistened with Triton-X, and the fibers were added directly to one of two commercial DNA profiling kits. All profiles were obtained without increasing the number of amplification cycles; therefore, our method is ideally suited for adoption by the forensic science community. We indicate the use of the technique in a criminal case in which a DNA profile was generated from a fingermark on tape that was wrapped around a drug seizure. Our direct DNA profiling approach is rapid and able to generate profiles from touched items when current forensic practices have little chance of success.