DNA Analysis on Forensic Science

Since DNA analysis technology was introduced to forensic science field in 1985, the effective application of this technology to evidential samples such as bloodstains, body fluid stains and the tissue samples, has been a matter of great interest of forensic science laboratories in the world. As a first step of the application of the DNA analysis to evidential samples, single locus VNTR (Variable Number of Tandem Repeat) was investigated using specific probes to each locus (YNH24, CMM101, MS1, MS32 etc.) and hybridization methods. Since Saiki et al. reported the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification techniques using Taq polymerase, the adoption of the PCR-based DNA typing systems such as HLADQα, AMPFLP (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms), and STR (Short Tandem Repeat) has become very common in the forensic community. Now, many reports concerning single locus RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism)-VNTR, AMPFLP (MCT118), HLADQα, Polymarker and STR have been widely published in the scientific journal and a reasonable combination of these systems has commonly been used for identifying evidential samples. Moreover, the guideline of a quality assurance for DNA analysis has been published from the national forensic science laboratory of each country (FBI in USA, FSS in UK etc.).   Recently, the validation studies and the population studies have been performed with respect to STRs such as TH01, CSF1PO, vWA, FES/FPS etc. Studies on the technical strategy for applying mitochondrial DNA analysis to evidential samples and on the application of DNA analysis to ABO blood group are now progressing in the forensic science laboratories in the world.