Guidance Notes: DNA Enhancement

High sensitivity STR profiling involves specialised procedures that can significantly increase the sensitivity of the STR profiling method, such that very low levels of DNA may yield a DNA profile suitable for interpretation. ‘DNA Enhancement’ is a validated and accredited technique to increase the level of detection of amplified DNA components from forensic samples.

In the initial stage of DNA enhancement, the amplified DNA is subjected to a slight modification of the run conditions used to detect the DNA. For subsequent stages of DNA enhancement, chemicals that can limit the detection of the DNA components are removed from the sample to be analysed. This clean up procedure (sometimes referred to as 'post-PCR clean-up') can significantly increase the level of detection compared with results from the same DNA following standard analysis conditions.

DNA enhancement is generally performed on at least two separate portions of the DNA extracted from a sample.