Advancements in Forensic DNA Analysis: Solutions for Blood Sample Challenges
Abstract
Forensic science benefits significantly from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) research, and it is necessary to improve methods of its extraction and analysis continuously. With blood DNA samples, it is especially challenging to perform procedures in laboratories, as these samples tend to deteriorate fast without proper conditions and are susceptible to contaminants.
Moreover, deciphering and comparison are also highly complicated processes, requiring significant time investments from specialists with complex equipment. However, there are developments in this sphere which promise to make these tasks easier. Rapid DNA tests, new decontamination procedures, blood handling guidelines, and PCR amplification techniques hold promise to give criminologists a boost to their efficiency.
Introduction
Forensic science provides immense assistance to many investigations across the globe by applying modern technologies for the analysis of evidence that is otherwise imperceptible by a regular person. For example, DNA traces left on a crime scene can help with discovering crime suspects or victims with pinpoint precision (Chong et al., 2020).
However, sample contamination, degradation, and similar issues make it challenging for laboratories to utilize a portion of DNA evidence with the same level of success. Thankfully, there are new methods of processing blood DNA evidence that help forensic specialists resolve numerous issues they encounter in their line of work, allowing them to incorporate their findings in criminal proceedings faster than ever.
Problems
Collection
It is essential to provide forensic laboratories with a clean, fresh sample of blood in order for it to be used to establish its owner for criminal cases in the shortest time span. However, this substance degrades rapidly outside of an organism and is susceptible to damage from heat, radiation, chemical agents, and dilution (Chong et al., 2020). It is easy for a person to make a sample unusable without significant efforts from specialists in order to fix the damage done to it before it was adequately collected. It does not require direct interference with evidence from a suspect, as people stumbling around an evidence site may lead to disastrous outcomes for the blood stains contained there.
Processing
The removal of contaminants is a critical part of a laboratory’s work after a blood DNA sample is initially obtained, as criminal proceedings rely on the timely processing of evidence. Blood is often available in limited amounts, requiring careful handling and cleansing of all collected samples to yield the highest possible quantity of material (Chong et al., 2020). However, this step is plagued with problems with the separation of biological material from other particles. It is difficult to create a pure DNA sample without damaging blood cells, as they are susceptible to mechanical and chemical damage during this phase, which may make it impossible to obtain high-quality data for further analysis (Chong et al., 2020). This problem complicates the recreation of a DNA profile further, hindering laboratories’ impact on crime resolutions.
Preservation
Despite one’s best efforts, there are many possibilities for a blood DNA sample to become unusable quickly. Criminal proceedings may take years to be completed, requiring blood from crime scenes to be saved throughout the entire trial. Inefficient preservation protocols are a major part of this issue, as a facility containing such evidence is required to uphold specific ecological conditions over a sustained period (Kaur et al., 2020).
Systemic failures to provide these demands lead to numerous cases being mismanaged and dropped despite the possibility of their resolution. Therefore, DNA samples require a low-temperature, low-humidity environment that is challenging to provide under normal circumstances (Kaur et al., 2020). Moreover, protection against radiation, chemical interference, and even minuscule heat changes must be guaranteed for a sample to remain viable for analysis.
Examination
In order for a DNA sample to be utilized in a case, it is essential to decipher its data and link it to a person. However, this process is hindered by the complexity of DNA interpretation processes, which often require manual analysis of the information (Butler, 2023). Profiling, relationship testing, and evaluating the proximity to a particular person demand a comparison of multiple factors that are required to be acceptable in court as evidence. At the same time, deciphering DNA is a lengthy process that may hinder an investigation if a database used for analyzing certain points within the double helix conformation is insufficient or too fragmented (Butler, 2023). Scientists are bound to construct complex genetic information systems in order to be able to utilize DNA as evidence.
New Solutions
Rapid DNA Tests
A new technology called Rapid DNA is now available for forensic scientists, providing much-needed instruments for fast analysis of blood samples. These devices are entirely automatic, which allows them to extract, process, and analyze DNA samples without any outside interference once a piece has been provided (Chong et al., 2020). They reduce the amount of time required to obtain viable results by a significant margin. While there are still imperfections in rapid DNA tech, with the improvements to its correctness, it will be a new standard of forensic science.
Decontaminating Agents
Methods of decontamination of blood DNA samples are also being actively improved. Chemical agents that capture and allow the removal of contaminants may still impact the completeness of the profile, yet they show the potential to become safe to use (Chong et al., 2020). Depending on the type of particle, there are treatments for the sources of blood DNA that can diminish the impact of a particular contaminant on the outcome of the analysis.
DNA Preservation Guidelines
Nowadays, it is clear how blood DNA evidence can be protected against its inevitable degradation. Preservation of DNA samples now starts at the crime scene, as researchers comprehend that humidity has a higher potential to damage the double helical conformation of DNA (Kaur et al., 2020). Locations with blood can be rapidly dried with the help of special equipment. Simultaneously, protocols for upholding proper environmental conditions are created and disseminated across forensic laboratories and storage facilities (Kaur et al., 2020). With such methods, new locations that adhere to the guidelines will enable the indefinite preservation of DNA for lengthy criminal proceedings.
PCR Technology
As an alternative, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology, which has received numerous developments in recent years, is also able to assist criminologists with DNA evidence operations. This method enables scientists to duplicate DNA, potentially creating an infinite supply of a particular DNA sequence, which is vital in cases where the provided biological material is minimal (Chong et al., 2020). While there are challenges to the use of PCR due to the troubles with partial or damaged samples, it holds a significant promise for forensic science.
Conclusions
In conclusion, new guidelines and technologies of DNA blood forensic handling and analysis allow scientists to operate at maximum efficiency and promise to speed up criminal proceedings significantly. Rapid DNA analysis technologies that may be implemented on a wide scale can assist criminologists who lack the knowledge of manual DNA analysis. Decontamination processes are also improving as new ways of removing particles from blood and other bodily fluids are being created. Moreover, clear guidelines for blood preservation have been developed after numerous experiments in spectrology and deciphering. Finally, PCR holds a promise to provide researchers with an unlimited supply of DNA from a single piece of evidence.
References
Butler, J. M. (2023). Recent advances in forensic biology and forensic DNA typing: Interpol review 2019–2022. Forensic Science International: Synergy, 6. Web.
Chong, K. W., Thong, Z., & Syn, C. K. (2020). Recent trends and developments in forensic DNA extraction. WIREs Forensic Science, 3(2). Web.
Kaur, S., Saini, V., & Dalal, R. (2020). UV-visible spectroscopic effect on hemoglobin & DNA degradation: A forensic approach. Forensic Science International, 307. Web.