Nucleic acids forensic analysis

Gel electrophoresis and, more recently, CGE have been employed principally in molecular biology and biochemical science for the separation of macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. And GCE has been successfully used in oligonucleotide purity analysis, antisense gene therapy, DNA sequencing, PCR product analysis, and DNA forensics. 

Applications of the PCR technique include 1) efficient comparison of a normal cloned gene with an uncloned mutant form of the gene, 2) detection of low-abundance nucleic acid sequences, 3) forensic analysis of DNA samples, and 4) prenatal diagnosis and carrier detection, for example, of cystic fibrosis. 

The complementary reaction of nucleic acids has one of the strongest binding affinities found in nature. Nucleic acid probe assays have been developed extensively in research on genetics, forensics, microbiology, and oncology (242,243). Applications of nucleic acid probe assays for pharmaceutical analysis are still limited at this time and are beyond the scope of this chapter. 

See also Blood and Plasma. Clinical Analysis Glucose. DNA Sequencing. Fluorescence Overview. Forensic Sciences Drug Screening in Sport. Microscopy Techniques Electron Microscopy Scanning Electron Microscopy Atomic Force and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy. Nucleic Acids Spectroscopic Methods. Raman Spectroscopy Instrumentation. Sensors Overview. 

Chemical imaging is described, including confocal Raman imaging. UV and visible spectroscopy includes innovations such as flow-through sample holders and fiber-optic probes, as well as instruments for analysis of submicroliter volumes and nondestructive analysis for nucleic acid and protein determinations. UV absorption spectral interpretation for organic molecules is covered in depth. Applications described include nucleic acid and protein measurements, spectrophotometric titrations, and new applications in forensic chemistry. Nephelometry, turbidimetry, fluorescence, and phosphorescence are described in detail, including instrumentation and applications. The measurement of color using the CIE system is described with examples. 

Lab-on-a-chip devices of this kind, so-called micro-total analysis systems ((xTAS), are textbook examples of how an appropriate reactor design considerably facilitates analyses. These systems benefit from highly efficient heat transfer in different reaction zones, thus allowing for realizing a complete sequence of different reactions within a single reaction channel. It is for these reasons that jtTAS are particularly well suited for nucleic acid analyses by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Other fields of application comprise molecular diagnostics or forensics [53]. 

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