DNALC Live: Forensic DNA Profiling, Part III

Activity description:

Although the DNA from different individuals is more alike than different, there are many regions of human chromosomes that exhibit a great deal of diversity. Such variable sequences are termed “polymorphic” (meaning many forms) and provide the basis for forensic identification. This experiment uses gel electrophoresis and a DNA chip to examine a highly variable locus within the human genome, like the ones used by the FBI for DNA fingerprinting. This locus, D1S80, contains a variable number of tandem repeats, which can be used to build an individual's unique DNA profile. In this third part of the experiment, join DNALC educator Jeffry Petracca as he demonstrates how to analyze the PCR products at the D1S80 locus using the Agilent bioanalyzer chip and compares these to the results from gel electrophoresis.