We can examine the hair for STR suitability. The suitability will depend on whether there is a root attached and the stage of growth of the hair. Based on our examination, we will make a recommendation for nuclear or mitochondrial testing.

Y-STR testing is beneficial in the case of a mixture with a major component female STR profile and a few alleles from a male contributor. A partial to full Y-STR profile would most likely be obtained because the Y-STR primers can focus on the male DNA without the female DNA interfering with the interpretation. Y-STR testing can be useful for samples believed to have originated from azospermic or vasectomized males, as well as non-sexual samples such as mixed DNA profiles from touch evidence tested from fingernails, clothing, and guns.

Bode Cellmark offers STR amplification using commercially available kits for the generation of the core CODIS 13 loci, including both the Hitachi and Applied Biosystems platforms using Promega’s PowerPlex® 16 System and PowerPlex® 16 BIO System and the Applied Biosystems AmpFLSTR® Profiler Plus®, COfiler®, Identifiler® and MiniFiler^TM PCR amplification kits.

Once the sample arrives, we will do an assessment. We can extract and quant the sample. The quant value will give us an indication of whether miniSTR or standard STR will be necessary.

One sperm head contains approximately 3pg (picograms) of DNA. We target 500-1000pg of DNA to produce at least a low level YSTR profile, which is about 160 – 333 sperm cells. Ideally 100+ sperm cells will produce a full Y-STR profile.

Bode Cellmark offers a reference sample collection kit that is designed with our patented Bode Buccal DNA Collector and easily collects a reference sample from the buccal (cheek) cells of the individual. Please contact our Technical Services department at (866) 263-3443 x787 for more information or to order a reference collection kit.

Anything that the individual’s saliva has come into contact with could be used as a reference sample. We would recommend items such as a discarded cigarette butt, chewing gum, a toothbrush, or soda can.

Depending on how the envelope was sealed, we may be able to test to determine the individual who may have licked the seal. Generally, we would take small cuttings from areas such as the envelope flap and process them for DNA analysis in order to obtain the profile(s).