Qiagen on Tuesday said that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has approved its ForenSeq MainstAY workflow, enabling accredited forensic DNA laboratories to process DNA casework samples and search results against the U.S. National DNA Index System (NDIS) CODIS database.
Containing 20 million offender profiles, the database is used by authorities in the U.S. to help solve criminal investigations.
The workflow was submitted for NDIS approval by the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services Laboratory System. It consists of the high-throughput ForenSeq MainstAY kit, the MiSeq FGx Sequencing System, and the ForenSeq MainstAY Analysis Module in the Universal Analysis Software.
Qiagen noted that the standardized workflow supports volume casework and sexual assault cases, and is a cost-effective alternative to analyzing short tandem repeats with capillary electrophoresis.
Leveraging next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, the workflow supports high-throughput processing of up to 96 samples in one run and provides improved sensitivity, resulting in increased profiling efficiency, Qiagen said. The technology also enables high resolution and is extensible for applications such as forensic investigative genetic genealogy, phenotyping, and additional capabilities such as body fluid identification.
The ForenSeq MainstAY workflow was developed and commercialized by Verogen, which Qiagen acquired in January for $150 million in cash.
