An Automated Single Cell Separation Technique to Improve Mixture Deconvolution

Although the interpretation of mixed DNA samples is commonplace in forensic analyses, complex samples often presents interpretational challenges.

These complexities are introduced through a variety of environmental, biological, and process-related steps.

Overly complex mixtures often cannot be interpreted with high confidence which can lead to inconclusive results, poor resolution between donors, and negatively affected likelihood ratios.

This can occur in cases where samples collected from items that have been handled by numerous individuals or sexual assault evidence has significantly high epithelial cell to sperm cell ratios and low amounts of sperm.

This webinar will provide an evaluation of the DEPArray, an instrument that can be used to identify, separate, and recover single cells or groups of cells prior to genetic analysis, thereby resolving challenges inherent to mixed biological evidence.

Detailed Learning Objectives:

- Obtain a working knowledge of the DEPArray technology, the advantages to its use in forensic DNA analysis and the challenges associated with its use.

- Learn about new, automated, methods to identify artifacts including pull-up and stutter.

- Learn about the new and realistic potential of single cell analysis in the current forensic DNA landscape.