This dissertation demonstrates a successful approach for identifying and characterizing putative PCR inhibitors, emphasizing those originating from the mineral contents of bone, and assesses the efficiency of current methods used for extracting DNA from bone samples.
The project described in this paper addresses the more than 4,000 sets of unidentified human remains that are recovered annually, with nearly one-quarter of those still unidentified within a year following their recovery. It acknowledges the importance of obtaining genetic information through DNA testing of bone samples for identifying missing persons. The dissertation project fulfills its two stated objectives: to demonstrate an approach for identifying and characterizing PCR inhibitors, emphasizing those that originate from mineral contents of bone; and assessing the efficiency of current methods for extracting DNA from bone samples. The dissertation discusses the comparative effects of hematin and humic acid inhibition of forensic multiplex short tandem repeat systems and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enhancers; it presents on the effects of metal ion PCR inhibitors on results obtained with the Quantifiler(R) human DNA Quantification Kit; it discusses metal ions as forensically-relevant PCR inhibitor-based DNA testing; it presents on the elemental and DNA analysis of constituents obtained from extracting bone samples; and it discusses the results from the skeletal sampling technique on DNA analysis.