DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39458
title: Exploration of RNA Degradation in Dried Body Fluid Stains as a Means of Estimating the Age of the Samples, Oklahoma, 2018-2019
title: Archival Version

description: The overall goal of this project was to understand the degradation characteristics of mRNA molecules in dried body fluid stains such that the relationship between degradation and the passage of time could be explored and used to develop a forensic tool to estimate the age of the stain (i.e., determine the time since deposition, TsD). Research has demonstrated that RNA degradation correlates with the passage of time in dried stains and have defined degradation kinetics for multiple mRNA transcripts present in dried blood, semen, and saliva stains. The current study collected detailed degradation kinetics for multiple transcripts in stains stored in real world environments with varying conditions of temperature, relative humidity, and sunlight exposure. Results suggest it may be possible to model degradation kinetics mathematically and develop an algorithm useful for estimating TsD in biological evidence recovered from crime scenes.
description: The goals for this project were to:
Develop an understanding of RNA degradation in dried body fluid stains as samples age under different environmental conditions.
a) Examine RNA degradation kinetics in aging blood, semen, and saliva stains.
b) Explore the use of TaqMan™ qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technology in an effort to multiplex multiple transcript markers and produce time since deposition (TsD) estimates that are more precise.
c) Develop a kinetic model of RNA degradation that considers the effects of the environment in which a stain is stored.
Assess the effect of the substrate bearing a bloodstain on RNA degradation kinetics.
Search for other RNA markers specific to a particular body fluid or widely expressed among body fluids whose degradation kinetics may enhance the ability to estimate TsD.
Explore the transfer of the qPCR technology to a practicing forensic laboratory for routine use.
Determine the reason for the differential degradation rates for RNA fragments mapping to the 5' and 3' ends of multiple transcripts in dried stains.
description: Biological fluids, including blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal fluid, were collected from unrelated donors to conduct multiple experiments that examined RNA degradation. The biological samples were stored in various environmental conditions (e.g., different temperatures or relative humidities) and RNA was extracted at different timepoints for up to a year.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: Exploration of RNA Degradation in Dried Body Fluid Stains as a Means of Estimating the Age of the Samples, Oklahoma, 2018-2019
description: Biological fluid samples from volunteer donors over the age of 18..
description: These data are a Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data producer. All files have been zipped for release, but not checked or processed. Users should refer to the accompanying ICPSR README file for a brief description of the data available with this collection and consult with the investigator(s) if further information is needed.