Forensic Biology Commons^™

The Longevity Of Dna From Bloodstains And Its Forensic Implications, Nadia Walter

Senior Honors Theses

Human DNA is valuable forensic evidence, helping to solve a wide range of cases. It is often sourced from biological fluids found at a scene such as blood, saliva, semen, and urine. Many different factors can influence the longevity of DNA sourced from bloodstains, including the type of substrate, storage conditions, and weather. The quality of a DNA sample from a bloodstain found at a crime scene may influence its admissibility in court.

Original research was done on a surgical table from the last major battle of the American Civil War, extracting DNA from latent bloodstains. Some full profiles were …

Buffer Vs. Swabs: Efficacy Of Carrier Nucleic Acids In Robotic Extractions, Shawn Cecil

Honors Projects

This study compared the efficiency of two carrier nucleic acid methods, specifically using salmon sperm DNA (spDNA), in robotic solid-phase extractions of cotton swab samples. Robotic extractions reduce processing time and workload but result in substantially lower DNA recovery than manual organic extraction. This research tested 10 µg of spDNA being added to the lysis buffer or pre-treating the swabs with it before DNA was added. Both methods showed a significant increase in recovery compared to extractions with no carrier. In the buffer extractions, recovery ranged from 69.4% to 117.5% and the swabs being pre-treated ranged from 84.2% to 125.8% …

Investigation Into The Microbiome Of Blow Fly Eggs Using Microseqtm Id, Samantha S. Davis, Drusilla Sheridan, Jennifer Rosati

Undergraduate Research

There is little published research characterizing the microbiome associated with blow fly eggs and how they may affect the colonization behaviors of certain blow fly species. Once deposited, blow fly eggs are rapidly introduced to a diverse range of microorganisms, which can vary depending on the species of blow fly, the environment, and the decomposition stage of the substrate (Junqueira et al., 2017). Since blow flies are among the first insects to colonize decomposing remains, the microbial communities present on their eggs could serve as key indicators of the decomposition stage at the time of egg-laying, thus providing a potential …