Novel cellular signatures for determining time since deposition for trace DNA evidence

With the increase in sensitivity of DNA profiling, questions about how and when the DNA was deposited have become a driving issue in forensic cases. To address this, the authors propose a novel method to determine time since deposition of trace DNA samples based on morphological and autofluorescence properties of individual epithelial cells which can change as the sample ages. To develop this signature, a series of trace DNA samples were generated by contact/handling a substrate and then allowed to age anywhere between one day and more than one year prior to collection. Imaging flow cytometry (IFC) was then used to characterize the morphology and autofluorescence profiles of individual cells within each sample followed by multivariate modelling and predictive classification. (Published Abstract Provided)