Resistance of degraded hair shafts to contaminant DNA

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGilbert, M.
dc.contributor.authorMenez, L.
dc.contributor.authorJanaway, R.
dc.contributor.authorTobin, D.
dc.contributor.authorCooper, A.
dc.contributor.authorWilson, A.
dc.date.issued2006
dc.description.abstractWe 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.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityM Thomas P Gilbert, Laura Menez, Robert C Janaway, Desmond J Tobin, Alan Cooper and Andrew S Wilson
dc.description.urihttp://www.fsijournal.org/home
dc.identifier.citationForensic Science International, 2006; 156(2):208-212
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.02.021
dc.identifier.issn0379-0738
dc.identifier.issn1872-6283
dc.identifier.orcidCooper, A. [0000-0002-7738-7851]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/57620
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier Sci Ireland Ltd
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2005.02.021
dc.subjectContamination
dc.subjectDegradation
dc.subjectHair
dc.subjectmtDNA
dc.titleResistance of degraded hair shafts to contaminant DNA
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Collections

Earth and Environmental Sciences publications
Environment Institute Leaders publications