Resistance of degraded hair shafts to contaminant DNA
Date
2006
Authors
Gilbert, M.
Menez, L.
Janaway, R.
Tobin, D.
Cooper, A.
Wilson, A.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Forensic Science International, 2006; 156(2):208-212
Statement of Responsibility
M Thomas P Gilbert, Laura Menez, Robert C Janaway, Desmond J Tobin, Alan Cooper and Andrew S Wilson
Conference Name
Abstract
We have investigated the susceptibility of degraded human hair shaft samples to contamination by exogenous sources of DNA, including blood, saliva, skin cells, and purified DNA. The results indicate that on the whole hair shafts are either largely resistant to penetration by contaminant DNA, or extremely easy to successfully decontaminate. This pertains to samples that are both morphologically and biochemically degraded. We suggest that this resistance to the incorporation of contaminant DNA relates to the hydrophobic and impermeable nature of the keratin structures forming the hair shaft. Therefore, hair samples represent an important and underestimated source of DNA in both forensic and ancient DNA studies.