Development of novel strategies to maximise recovery and analysis of sub-optimal DNA for forensic and ancient DNA studies (HLS/SE/DRFAPP7P/63594)

The current gold standard for assessment of DNA extracted from forensic sample types is real-time PCR. This method can provide information about the quantity, biological sex and to a limited extent, quality of the DNA recovered from a given sample. These methods do not provide any information regarding the nature of post-mortem chemical modifications affecting the template material. Previous studies have shown that such modification may occur more prevalently at rapidly mutating areas of the mitochondrial genome, such as hypervariable regions 1 and 2 that are traditionally used for forensic and ancient DNA analysis. Little is known about the areas affected in nuclear DNA.

This project will utilize both chemical and biological techniques to develop a novel analytical method for the assessment of quality for both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA at the molecular level. The development of such a tool will allow for a more targeted approach to downstream processes maximizing the amount of genetic information that can be assembled from the most challenging sample types encountered in the forensic laboratory. Methods of DNA repair and enrichment strategies will be investigated to determine the optimal workflow for a range of different sample types including touch-DNA samples and skeletal material of various age. The success rate of the new approaches will be assessed using contemporary methodology for STR profiling and Next Generation Sequencing approaches.

Informal Enquiries
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.

Eligibility
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.

How to Apply
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.