ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 January 2003
Page Count: 3

Using Resolution Calculations to Assess Changes in Capillary Electrophoresis Run Parameters
Buel, E
Vermont Forensic Laboratory, VT

LaFountain, M
Vermont Forensic Laboratory, VT

Schwartz, M
Vermont Forensic Laboratory, VT

(Received 12 July 2002; accepted 8 July 2002)

Abstract

Capillary electrophoresis is widely used in the forensic community for the analysis of Short Tandem Repeat DNA. The CE system used in most forensic laboratories allows the user to modify standard operational protocols to accommodate some samples that fall outside of interpretational guidelines. We have made operational changes and monitored system resolution and the ability of the software to identify alleles as a result of these modifications. Increased amount of amplified product in the injection preparation, lengthened injection times or repeated injections of the same sample were all investigated along with variations in run voltages. Certain protocol modifications offer some advantages to the analysis of STRs and may allow the analyst to avoid extraction of additional portions of crime scene samples to achieve interpretable results.

Keywords:
forensic science, capillary electrophoresis, DNA, resolution, run modification, performance analysis

Paper ID: JFS2002018
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2002018
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