The sample had been amplified using the P. E. Biosystems Profiler Plus multiplex amplification kit. The kit contains primers for 9 of the 13 core loci plus amelogenin. Amelogenin is a sex-determining locus. The principle behind the DNA fragment separation, detection and size determination is the same by either the sequencing gel or capillary electrophoresis equipment. Size separation is accomplished through the sieving action of the gel during electrophoresis.
Detection is by differently colored fluorescent tags on the primers.
The incorporation of the primers into the amplified DNA serves to color code the amplified products according to locus. The primers have been designed to yield base pair sizes within certain ranges for each locus. Any overlapping loci are distinguished by differently colored tags. Detection involves the excitation of the fluorescent tags by a laser and detection of their emission spectra by the computerized detection system. The system software determines the base pair sizes of the profile bands based on internal standards run with each sample, and determines the actual number of repeats by comparison of the profile bands to allelic ladder samples.