You are here

MICROMANIPULATION AND GENETIC ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPERM CELLS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2019
Abstract/Description:
Sexual assault investigations utilize both physical and biological evidence to aid in the investigation. Physical evidence may include fingerprints, hair, fibers, stains, soil, and glass. Biological evidence may include semen, saliva, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, and skin. Semen, often found in small or trace quantities, is of great importance when trying to identify the perpetrator. From the semen sample, DNA profiles using autosomal short tandem repeats (aSTRs) (gold standard in forensic science) or Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) can be obtained and can be used to identify a perpetrator through comparison to suspect reference samples or by searching the profile against a DNA database (CODIS). Obtaining DNA profiles can be challenging when assaults are reported many days after the incident. The amount of semen will decrease as the time frame increases due to various factors such as drainage from the vagina. To potentially overcome this obstacle and improve the recovery of profiles from extended interval samples, it may be possible to develop novel collection and analysis methods using individual or few sperm cells. Small quantities of sperm cells may still be present in extended interval samples that may otherwise fail to provide a DNA profile using conventional methods. The work presented here focuses on the development of these novel analysis methods using micromanipulation techniques and enhanced amplification strategies for the analysis of individual sperm cells to determine if a full DNA profile is present. The developed methods will be applied to the analysis of extended interval post coital samples.
Title: MICROMANIPULATION AND GENETIC ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPERM CELLS FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS.
48 views
24 downloads
Name(s): Penn, Amanda, Author
Borgon, Robert, Committee Chair
Ballantyne, Jack, Committee Member
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2019
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Sexual assault investigations utilize both physical and biological evidence to aid in the investigation. Physical evidence may include fingerprints, hair, fibers, stains, soil, and glass. Biological evidence may include semen, saliva, vaginal secretions, menstrual blood, and skin. Semen, often found in small or trace quantities, is of great importance when trying to identify the perpetrator. From the semen sample, DNA profiles using autosomal short tandem repeats (aSTRs) (gold standard in forensic science) or Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) can be obtained and can be used to identify a perpetrator through comparison to suspect reference samples or by searching the profile against a DNA database (CODIS). Obtaining DNA profiles can be challenging when assaults are reported many days after the incident. The amount of semen will decrease as the time frame increases due to various factors such as drainage from the vagina. To potentially overcome this obstacle and improve the recovery of profiles from extended interval samples, it may be possible to develop novel collection and analysis methods using individual or few sperm cells. Small quantities of sperm cells may still be present in extended interval samples that may otherwise fail to provide a DNA profile using conventional methods. The work presented here focuses on the development of these novel analysis methods using micromanipulation techniques and enhanced amplification strategies for the analysis of individual sperm cells to determine if a full DNA profile is present. The developed methods will be applied to the analysis of extended interval post coital samples.
Identifier: CFH2000522 (IID), ucf:45624 (fedora)
Note(s): 2019-05-01
B.S.
College of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences
Bachelors
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): micromanipulation
sperm cells
Y-STRs
autosomal-STRs
sexual assault
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000522
Restrictions on Access: public
Host Institution: UCF

In Collections