Long-Term Tissue Preservation at Ambient Temperature for Post-Mass Fatality Incident DNA-Based Victim Identification

In a mass fatality incident (MFI), effective preservation of tissue samples is the cornerstone for downstream DNA-based identification of victims. This is commonly achieved through freezing of tissue samples excised from bodies/fragmented remains which may be buried or stored in refrigerated containers. This may, however, not be possible depending on the nature of the MFI; in particular, during armed conflict/war where extended periods of electrical outages would be expected. The present study compared the effectiveness of long-term tissue preservation at ambient temperatures using two commercial products (non-iodized kitchen salt and a 40% alcoholic beverage) against a chemical preservative (Allprotect™ Tissue Reagent (Qiagen, Germantown, MD, USA)) and freezing at -20 °C. Bovine muscle tissue, used as a proxy for human tissue, was treated with the four preservation methods and sampled at six different time-points over a 24-month period. All four methods were able to preserve the bovine tissue, generally yielding STR-PCR (Short Tandem Repeat-Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplicons > 200 bp in size even at the end of 24 months. Gel electrophoresis, however, indicated that salt was more effective in preserving DNA integrity with high-molecular-weight DNA clearly visible as compared to the low-molecular-weight DNA smears observed in the other methods. This study also proposes a simple process for the rapid and low-cost preservation of tissue samples for long-term storage at ambient temperatures in support of post-incident victim identification efforts.