Automation and developmental validation of the ForenSeq DNA Signature Preparation kit for high-throughput analysis in forensic laboratories.

Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) applications in forensic science highlight the advantages of this technique compared to capillary electrophoresis (CE). The multiplexing of a wide range of genetic markers and access to the full amplicon sequence, allowing the detection of isoalleles, make it a very promising tool which could be applied to the most challenging casework DNA samples. However, the complexity of the manual library preparation protocol, potential DNA contamination and sample tracking issues are the main reasons why forensic scientists still hesitate to implement MPS analytical workflows in their laboratory.