title: Microfluidic Devices for Forensic DNA Analysis: A Review.
abstract: Microfluidic devices may offer various advantages for forensic DNA analysis, such as reduced risk of contamination, shorter analysis time and direct application at the crime scene. Microfluidic chip technology has already proven to be functional and effective within medical applications, such as for point-of-care use. In the forensic field, one may expect microfluidic technology to become particularly relevant for the analysis of biological traces containing human DNA. This would require a number of consecutive steps, including sample work up, DNA amplification and detection, as well as secure storage of the sample. This article provides an extensive overview of microfluidic devices for cell lysis, DNA extraction and purification, DNA amplification and detection and analysis techniques for DNA. Topics to be discussed are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on-chip, digital PCR (dPCR), isothermal amplification on-chip, chip materials, integrated devices and commercially available techniques. A critical overview of the opportunities and challenges of the use of chips is discussed, and developments made in forensic DNA analysis over the past 10-20 years with microfluidic systems are described. Areas in which further research is needed are indicated in a future outlook.
authors.affiliation: Mesoscale Chemical Systems, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands. b.b.bruijns@utwente.nl.|Life Science, Engineering and Design, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, M. H. Tromplaan 28, Enschede 7513 AB, The Netherlands. b.b.bruijns@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bruijns
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Forensic Institute, Laan van Ypenburg 6, The Hague 2497 GB, The Netherlands. clhc-science@uva.nl.|Co van Ledden Hulsebosch Center, Amsterdam Center for Forensic Science and Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Science Park-Building 904, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands. clhc-science@uva.nl.
authors.forename: Arian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Asten
authors.affiliation: Mesoscale Chemical Systems, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands. r.m.tiggelaar@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Roald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tiggelaar
authors.affiliation: Mesoscale Chemical Systems, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede 7500 AE, The Netherlands. j.g.e.gardeniers@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gardeniers
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA extraction and purification; PCR; cell lysis; chips; isothermal amplification reactions; microfluidics