Publications by authors named "Joop Theelen"

Forensic science takes advantage of population variability in autosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) lengths to establish human identification. The most common method for DNA profiling by STR is based on PCR, where the highly polymorphic STR regions are amplified and analysed using Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) or Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS). MPS determines not only the repeat length, but also the repeat structure and variations in the flanking regions, making this method superior in discriminatory power compared to CE.

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Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) has gained interest in the forensic community over the past decade. Most of the published MPS methods focus on specialty applications intended for use in a limited number of samples with protocols that are relatively laborious. Recent developments using Reverse-Complement PCR enable an efficient MPS protocol suited for routine analysis of high numbers of samples.

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DNA analyses from challenging samples such as touch evidence, hairs and skeletal remains push the limits of the current forensic DNA typing technologies. Reverse complement PCR (RC-PCR) is a novel, single-step PCR target enrichment method adapted to amplify degraded DNA. The sample preparation process involves a limited number of steps, decreasing the labor required for library preparation and reducing the possibility of contamination due to less sample manipulation.

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Reverse Complement PCR (RC-PCR) is an innovative, one-step PCR target enrichment technology adapted for the amplification of highly degraded (fragmented) DNA. It provides simultaneous amplification and tagging of a targeted sequence construct in a single, closed-tube assay. A human identification (HID) RC-PCR panel was designed targeting 27 identity single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generating targets only 50 base pairs in length.

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Background: Indirect alternatives to sequencing as a method for mutation scanning are of interest to diagnostic laboratories because they have the potential for considerable savings in both time and costs. Ideally, such methods should be simple, rapid, and highly sensitive, and they should be validated formally to a very high standard. Currently, most reported methods lack one or more of these characteristics.

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