Forensic implications of genetic analyses from degraded DNA-A review

Forensic DNA identification techniques are principally based on determination of the size or sequence of desired PCR products. The fragmentation of DNA templates or the structural modifications that can occur during the decomposition process can impact the outcomes of the analytical procedures. This study reviews the pathways involved in cell death and DNA decomposition and the subsequent difficulties these present in DNA analysis of degraded samples. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.