This brief report describes the development and benefits of IntegenX RapidHIT, which can produce a DNA profile in less than 2 hours after submission.
The IntegenX RapidHIT was developed by Dr. Richard Mathies, chemist and professor at the University of California at Berkeley, under a grant awarded by the U.S. Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Dr. Mathies' research and Integen X's (formerly Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc.) resulting products are now being used by the Richland County Sheriff's Department (California) as well as law enforcement agencies in other States. It is also being used internationally. The IntegenX RapidHIT produces standardized DNA profiles from buccal swabs and other human samples in less than 90 minutes. It is small, easy to operate, and suitable for use outside of a controlled laboratory setting. It is capable of running one to seven samples in a given cycle. An example is provided of the successful use of the IntegenX RapidHIT by the Richland Sheriff's Department to identify a suspect in an armed robbery.