Non-human DNA extracted may contain bacterial, fungal, plant, or animal material in the total DNA recovered from the sample along with the relevant human DNA of interest. DNA Advisory Board (DAB) Standards mentioned that govern forensic DNA testing of forensic casework require human-specific DNA quantitation. This requirement ensures that appropriate levels of human DNA can be included in the subsequent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of short tandem repeats (STRs) evaluated in a DNA …show more content…
Surprisingly, the DNA quantitation methods commonly employed in forensics are often less accurate, time consuming, and require the consumption of a substantial percentage of the sample. In general, forensic analysts have learned to work with less than ideal quantitation methods. In short, one of the standards all DNA testing laboratories must meet is to ensure that the DNA recovered from a human extraction rather than from another source such as bacteria. This is done through quantitation where the quality and quantity of DNA present in a sample is measured and analysed. Additionally, the amount of DNA is determined in a sample is essential for success in the next step since most amplification systems require a narrow range of input DNA. This step is completed at the BCA through the use of a purchased Quantifiler DNA Human Quantification Kit and then running all samples on an instrument known as the ABI PRISM 7500 Sequence Detection System. This process takes approximately 30-60 minutes to set-up and then approximately two hours to run on the