ParaDNA: A Novel Instrument for Presumptive DNA Analysis

Current methods for human identification are time consuming and can take weeks to complete, leading to a backlog of evidence needing to be processed and a slowdown in investigations. The ParaDNA[R] Instrument is designed to address this issue using the Screening and Intelligence Systems which can detect the relative amount of DNA in an evidence item, and analyze 5 short tandem repeats (STRs) and Amelogenin, respectively [3]. The Instrument uses HyBeacons[R] which target specific STRs to identify the presence of DNA, and detect STR alleles. This is a validation of the ParaDNA[R] Screening and Intelligence Systems using saliva and blood samples to assess the sensitivity and reliability of the instrument. The data collected using the ParaDNA[R] Instrument show that it can reliably identify the relative amount of DNA in a sample, and display useful STR profiles that are 99% concordant with Qiagen Investigator 24Plex QS STR Kits.