Results of a collaborative study on DNA identification of aged bone samples

Date

2017-06-14

Authors

Vanek, Daniel
Budowle, Bruce
Dubska-Votrubova, Jitka
Ambers, Angie
Frolik, Jan
Pospisek, Martin
Al Afeefi, Ahmed Anwar
Al Hosani, Khalid Ismaeil
Allen, Marie
Al Naimi, Khudooma Saeed

ORCID

0000-0002-6733-8300 (Bus, Magdalena M.)

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Medicinska naklada

Abstract

AIM: A collaborative exercise with several institutes was organized by the Forensic DNA Service (FDNAS) and the Institute of the Legal Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, with the aim to test performance of different laboratories carrying out DNA analysis of relatively old bone samples. METHODS: Eighteen laboratories participating in the collaborative exercise were asked to perform DNA typing of two samples of bone powder. Two bone samples provided by the National Museum and the Institute of Archaelogy in Prague, Czech Republic, came from archeological excavations and were estimated to be approximately 150 and 400 years old. The methods of genetic characterization including autosomal, gonosomal, and mitochondrial markers was selected solely at the discretion of the participating laboratory. RESULTS: Although the participating laboratories used different extraction and amplification strategies, concordant results were obtained from the relatively intact 150 years old bone sample. Typing was more problematic with the analysis of the 400 years old bone sample due to poorer quality. CONCLUSION: The laboratories performing identification DNA analysis of bone and teeth samples should regularly test their ability to correctly perform DNA-based identification on bone samples containing degraded DNA and potential inhibitors and demonstrate that risk of contamination is minimized.

Description

Citation

Vanek, D., Budowle, B., Dubska-Votrubova, J., Ambers, A., Frolik, J., Pospisek, M., Al Afeefi, A. A., Al Hosani, K. I., Allen, M., Al Naimi, K. S., Al Salafi, D., Al Tayyari, W., Arguetaa, W., Bottinelli, M., Bus, M. M., Cemper-Kiesslich, J., Cepil, O., De Cock, G., Desmyter, S., El Amri, H., ... Zander, J. (2017). Results of a collaborative study on DNA identification of aged bone samples. Croatian medical journal, 58(3), 203-213. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2017.58.203