Evaluation of SPEX6750 Freezer Mill Pulveration of Teeth for Use in Nuclear Casework at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

Bintrim, Kristin A., Validation of Freezer Mill Pulveration of Teeth for use in Nuclear Casework at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory. Master of Science (Forensic Genetics), August, 2008, 44 pp., 4 tables, 6 figures, bibliography, 27 titles. I completed a validation study at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory. It was an evaluation of freezer mill pulveration of teeth for use in nuclear casework. The teeth were cleaned using a bleach and sonication method and then ground using a freezer mill. DNA extraction was achieved by using silica based capture techniques. The DNA was quantified, amplified and evaluated using fragment analysis. Several different amounts of input tooth powder were attempted to increase the DNA yield. Qiagen MinElute produced higher DNA yields then Promega’s DNA IQ system for the small sample size tested. After reviewing the results it was concluded that the DNA was most likely highly degraded and therefore did not produce complete genetic profiles for the samples tested.