title: A modular microfluidic system for deoxyribonucleic acid identification by short tandem repeat analysis.
abstract: Microfluidic technology has been utilized in the development of a modular system for DNA identification through STR (short tandem repeat) analysis, reducing the total analysis time from the ∼6 h required with conventional approaches to less than 3h. Results demonstrate the utilization of microfluidic devices for the purification, amplification, separation and detection of 9 loci associated with a commercially-available miniSTR amplification kit commonly used in the forensic community. First, DNA from buccal swabs purified in a microdevice was proven amplifiable for the 9 miniSTR loci via infrared (IR)-mediated PCR (polymerase chain reaction) on a microdevice. Microchip electrophoresis (ME) was then demonstrated as an effective method for the separation and detection of the chip-purified and chip-amplified DNA with results equivalent to those obtained using conventional separation methods on an ABI 310 Genetic Analyzer. The 3-chip system presented here demonstrates development of a modular, microfluidic system for STR analysis, allowing for user-discretion as to how to proceed after each process during the analysis of forensic casework samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22904, United States.
authors.forename: Carmen R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Reedy
authors.forename: Kristin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hagan
authors.forename: Daniel J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Marchiarullo
authors.forename: Alison H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Dewald
authors.forename: Annalise
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barron
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bienvenue
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Landers
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D046209:Electrophoresis, Microchip / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA