Evaluating the performance of five up-to-date DNA/RNA co-extraction methods for forensic application.

The importance of RNA evidence is growing with new developments in RNA profiling methods and purposes. As forensic samples often can be of small quantity, extraction methods with high yields of both DNA and RNA are desirable. In order to identify the optimal DNA/RNA co-extraction workflow for forensic samples, we evaluated the performance of three frequently-used methods, two new approaches for DNA/RNA co-extraction and a manual phenol/chloroform RNA-only extraction method on blood and saliva samples.

Relationship inference based on DNA mixtures.

Today, there exists a number of tools for solving kinship cases. But what happens when information comes from a mixture? DNA mixtures are in general rarely seen in kinship cases, but in a case presented to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, sample DNA was obtained after a rape case that resulted in an unwanted pregnancy and abortion. The only available DNA from the fetus came in form of a mixture with the mother, and it was of interest to find the father of the fetus.

Human NCU-G1 can function as a transcription factor and as a nuclear receptor co-activator.

Background: Novel, uncharacterised proteins represent a challenge in biochemistry and molecular biology. In this report we present an initial functional characterization of human kidney predominant protein, NCU-G1.

Results: NCU-G1 was found to be a highly conserved nuclear protein rich in proline with a molecular weight of approximately 44 kDa.