title: Performance testing of a semi-automatic card punch system, using direct STR profiling of DNA from blood samples on FTA™ cards.
abstract: The 1.2 mm Electric Coring Tool (e-Core™) was developed to increase the throughput of FTA(™) sample collection cards used during forensic workflows and is similar to a 1.2 mm Harris manual micro-punch for sampling dried blood spots. Direct short tandem repeat (STR) DNA profiling was used to compare samples taken by the e-Core tool with those taken by the manual micro-punch. The performance of the e-Core device was evaluated using a commercially available PowerPlex™ 18D STR System. In addition, an analysis was performed that investigated the potential carryover of DNA via the e-Core punch from one FTA disc to another. This contamination study was carried out using Applied Biosystems AmpflSTR™ Identifiler™ Direct PCR Amplification kits. The e-Core instrument does not contaminate FTA discs when a cleaning punch is used following excision of discs containing samples and generates STR profiles that are comparable to those generated by the manual micro-punch.
authors.affiliation: GE Healthcare Life Sciences R&D, The Maynard Centre, Forest Farm, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 7YT, U.K.
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Ogden
authors.forename: Jeffrey K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Simon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Stubbs
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tatnell
mesh_terms: D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
keywords: DNA typing; STR profiling; collection cards; dried blood spots; forensic science; polymerase chain reaction