Forensic Significance of Touch Deoxyribonucleic Acid

Abstract

Touch deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) refers to the DNA that is left behind from skin cells when a person touches or comes into contact with an object. In crimes where the identification of suspects becomes a challenge, touch DNA has been a proven investigative tool. The present study aims to provide a systematic review of the role of touch DNA in criminal cases which discusses the nature and importance of touch DNA evidence at crime scenes; various phenomena including the transfer and persistence of touched samples; different factors affecting the touch sample deposition and DNA shedding; the best recovery methods and collection of samples from different substrates; and the interpretation of profiles through advanced techniques that identify the suspects. The present study also aims to optimize standard protocols in the laboratories for touched samples appropriate to the substrates that improve the success rate of profiles from touched items.

Keywords

• crime scene investigation
• forensic deoxyribonucleic acid analysis
• touch deoxyribonucleic acid
• touch deposits
• trace deoxyribonucleic acid