DNA Degradation: the Effect of Bluestar® Forensic on Recovered DNA in Various Storage Conditions

Luminol is a well-known reagent used at crime scenes for revealing hidden bloodstains, which can then be collected for forensic identification purposes. This study focused on a commercialized luminol solution known as Bluestar® Forensic and attempted to determine its effects on naked DNA in various conditions. DNA was mixed with Bluestar® Forensic and kept in a liquid or dried state at two different temperatures for up to 140 days. DNA was extracted using the organic method and quantified using the Quantifiler™ Trio DNA Quantification Kit. Results showed that storage temperature and time stored were both correlated with differences in recovered DNA from samples, though the trends were not always consistent. Interestingly, the biggest predictor of DNA recovery was state of matter, as DNA was consistently recovered from dried samples but rarely from liquid samples. These results indicate that samples treated with Bluestar® Forensic are best stored in the dried state, though further research is needed to determine optimal storage temperature and time stored for such samples.