The Validation of the RapidHIT ID System for Human Identification
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Forensic scientists routinely employ short tandem repeat (STR) typing as a means to identify or exclude individuals as the donors of biological evidence at crime scenes. Despite developments in automation of STR typing workflow, this time-consuming work requires the expertise and resources of a dedicated forensic genetics laboratory. Rapid DNA technology, a fully automated, turnkey system, offers a simple, 90-minute swab-to-profile approach to generate STR profiles, requiring minimal training and expertise to operate the system. As Rapid DNA continues to be developed and implemented, validation studies are necessary to ensure the quality of analyses performed by Rapid DNA instruments. A series of studies in accordance with SWGDAM guidelines were designed to test different performance measures of the RapidHIT ID System for Human Identification (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The results from this study provide opportunities for protocol and user guide revisions, software improvements, and highlight parts of instrumentation that can be improved for future models.