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Validation of the InnoXtract™ DNA extraction method for bone, teeth, and rootless hair.
Sudhir K Sinha1, Hiromi Brown1, Hailey Holt1
1InnoGenomics Technologies, LLC, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, #5016, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70148, USA.
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|March 24, 2023
Summary
A new DNA extraction method, InnoXtract, effectively isolates high-yield DNA from challenging forensic samples like rootless hair and bones. This magnetic bead-based technique shows promise for automated, high-throughput processing of degraded human remains.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Forensic casework frequently involves challenging samples like human hairs, teeth, and bones.
- Degraded and low-template DNA from these sources presents significant extraction difficulties.
- Current methods for rootless hair and skeletal remains can be inefficient or not universally applicable.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the InnoXtract DNA extraction method for compromised forensic samples.
- To assess the method's performance on rootless hairs and skeletal remains.
- To compare InnoXtract with standard organic extraction techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized magnetic beads optimized for small DNA fragment (≥100 bp) binding.
- Evaluated sensitivity, stability, repeatability, and reproducibility.
- Tested on diverse forensic samples including rootless hair shafts and skeletal remains (bone, teeth).
- Compared performance against standard organic extraction and assessed automation potential.
Main Results:
- Achieved average DNA yield recoveries of 53–100% for hair and 73–85% for bone.
- Demonstrated consistent results across various sample types and donor characteristics.
- The InnoXtract bone method surpassed organic extraction efficiency.
- Automated version on MagMAX™ Express-96 yielded >70% of manual recovery with 6-hour throughput for 96 samples.
Conclusions:
- InnoXtract provides high-yield, high-quality DNA from compromised bone, teeth, and hair shaft samples.
- The method is robust across various sample types and donor demographics.
- InnoXtract offers a promising automated solution for high-throughput DNA extraction in forensic applications.
