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Sexual assault kit (SAK) samples are among the most difficult sample types encountered by many forensic laboratories. Samples collected from female victims may contain very low amounts of male DNA mixed with high amounts of female DNA. It is critical to be able to quickly and accurately assess whether swab evidence from an SAK contains a male contributor before labor-intensive differential extraction procedures are performed.

Legislation requiring the submission of unsubmitted cases and specifying turnaround times will lead to an unprecedented increase in the number of SAKs submitted to laboratories, necessitating speedy processing to prevent backlogs.

Generate quality results with confidence

Our 6-dye chemistries of the Applied Biosystems QuantiFiler Trio, GlobalFiler, and Yfiler Plus kits provide a compatible workflow to help maximize information generated on each sample, the first time through the workflow.  

Customer studies have demonstrated the ability of the QuantiFiler Trio DNA Quantification Kit to accurately predict degradation in downstream results using the GlobalFiler PCR Amplification kits. This allows laboratories to adjust input amounts to improve allele recovery. Accurate and sensitive detection of male DNA enabled by the QuantiFiler Trio allows the Yfiler Plus PCR Amplification Kit to be selected in cases of low male:female DNA ratio (M:F<1:20) where an autosomal kit would have little value. 

Featured products
Sexual assault casework workflow
1Screen for male DNA
Analyze Male DNA

Y-screen DNA assay using
QuantiFiler
Trio kit ›

Manual Slide Search

Serological Assays

 

 
2Extract DNA
Pipette

Differential extraction using the
Automate Express system ›

 
3Quantify DNA

S5

Low male? Degraded DNA? Inhibited?
Low concentration?

Informative decision support on STR strategy using
QuantiFiler Trio ›

 
4Amplify DNA

3500 Genetic Analyizer

M:F>1:20?
Use autosomal STR such as GlobalFiler kit ›

M:F<1:20?
Select Y-STR analysis using Yfiler Plus kit ›

 
5Analyze data
Laptop with DNA

Analyze results such as quality flags using GeneMapper ID-X Software v1.6 ›

Need help bringing products online?

Look no further than our Human Identification Professional Services (HPS) team. Since 2007, the team has completed over 400 successful validation projects worldwide. 

Over 20 technical support specialists, each averaging 8 years of real-world forensic experience, provide customers with in-depth training and support on our instruments, chemistries, and software.

Learn more

Customer videos

Analysis of sexual assault evidence collection kits using Y-screen

David Miller from West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory discusses how the lab is using NaOH extraction and the Quantifiler Trio DNA Quantification Kit as a Y-screen assay to improve efficiency in the sexual assault kit workflow.

Optimizing the sexual assault workflow: Applied Biosystems Quantifiler Trio, Yfiler Plus and Identifiler kits

Donna Foskin, senior scientist, from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) describes their workflow optimization for processing sexual assault kits using forensic DNA analysis.

Value of YSTRs in resolving mixture samples

Watch the video to hear Dr. Franz Neuhuber, Head of Forensic Molecular Biology Department at University of Salzburg, Austria share details of an attempted rape case that prompted his lab to adopt Y-STR analysis.

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Resources

Customer support

If you have additional comments or questions, please contact the customer service team via email.

Technical support

If you are a current customer and need technical support, please contact the global service team via email, or phone us at 1-888-821-4HID (4443). Select option #1 for immediate assistance.