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Copan microFLOQ® Direct Swab collection of bloodstains, saliva, and semen on cotton cloth

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Abstract

The microFLOQ® Direct Swab was tested by sampling diluted blood, semen, and saliva stains deposited on cotton cloth. DNA typing was performed using the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C System by direct PCR or a modified direct PCR. Direct PCR of swabs sampled the center of a stain, compared to their respective edge samplings, and had higher profile completeness and total relative fluorescent units (RFU) for all dilutions of blood and semen stains tested. The modified direct PCR used template DNA eluted from the swab head using the Casework Direct Kit, Custom and washes either contained 1-thioglycerol (TG) additive or no TG. Modified direct PCR had mixed results for blood, saliva, and semen stains, with semen stains showing significant differences in profile completeness (5% and 1%) and total RFU (neat, 5% and 1%) with the addition of TG to the Casework Direct Reagent. No significant difference was seen in any dilution of blood or saliva stains processed with the modified direct PCR, but profile completeness and total RFU were improved overall compared to stains swabbed with cotton swabs or 4N6FLOQSwabs™. This study supports the hypothesis that the microFLOQ® Direct Swab is able to collect minute amounts of DNA from cotton cloth and may be considered as an alternate pre-screening methodology in forensic biology casework.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank COPAN Italia (Brescia, Italy) and Promega (Madison, WI) for kindly providing products and technical assistance throughout this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Human Identification, UNT Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA

    Allison J Sherier, Rachel E. Kieser, Nicole M.M. Novroski, Frank R. Wendt, Jonathan L. King, August E. Woerner, Angie Ambers & Bruce Budowle

  2. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Genetics, UNT Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA

    Allison J Sherier, Rachel E. Kieser, Nicole M.M. Novroski, Frank R. Wendt, August E. Woerner, Angie Ambers & Bruce Budowle

  3. Forensic Science Program, Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Rd., Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

    Nicole M.M. Novroski

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Frank R. Wendt

  5. Laboratorio Biologia e Genetica Forense—Centro Regionale Antidoping “A. Bertinaria”, Regione Gonzole 10/1, 10043 Orbassano, Torino, Italy

    Paolo Garofano

  6. Accademia Italiana di Scienze Forensi, Viale Regina Margherita 9/D, 42124, Reggio Emilia, Italy

    Paolo Garofano

Authors
  1. Allison J Sherier
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  2. Rachel E. Kieser
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  3. Nicole M.M. Novroski
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  4. Frank R. Wendt
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  5. Jonathan L. King
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  6. August E. Woerner
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  7. Angie Ambers
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  8. Paolo Garofano
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  9. Bruce Budowle
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Correspondence to Allison J Sherier.

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Sherier, A.J., Kieser, R.E., Novroski, N.M. et al. Copan microFLOQ® Direct Swab collection of bloodstains, saliva, and semen on cotton cloth. Int J Legal Med 134, 45–54 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-019-02081-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-019-02081-6

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