September 17, 2014
UNL Forensic Science Assistant Professor Ashley Hall has been researching and assessing the nature of DNA damage and the inhibition of polymerase-mediated primer extension, leading to DNA typing failure.
Her article Assessment of DNA damage induced by terrestrial UV irradiation of dried bloodstains: Forensic implications will be published in the January 2014 volume of Forensic Science International: Genetics.
This research aims to better understand the effects of UVA and UVB irradiation on different types of DNA samples and results indicate that UV exposure can damage samples and result in typing failure. However, Dr. Hall notes that UV light alone may not be the only factor involved in damage to DNA, but heat, light, humidity and microorganism growth can be significant factors as well.
Dr. Hall is the Coordinator of the Forensic Biochemistry Option for the Forensic Science Major at UNL and teaches several forensic biochemistry-related courses in addition to the Forensic Science Intro course and Capstone Experience. More…