Who killed Clotilda? Polymerase Chain reaction for forensic science
Write a one-page affidavit identifying the killer for the court. To justify your identification, note where the DNA samples came from, describe how PCR analysis works (the components, their roles, and the purpose of each step in the reactions), and explain how you came to your conclusion.The Affidavit does not have to be an official formatted document. It can be in the form of a paper as long as it answers all the required questions!
Purpose:
To explore the science and methodology of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and its applications in forensic science
Objectives:
Research the concepts and methodologies of PCR (see videos in this folder)
Review evidence from a hypothetical criminal investigation and examine PCR profiles of several potential suspects
Compose an affidavit identifying the suspect and the supporting PCR evidence
What you will do:
Research the concepts and methodologies of PCR
Review evidence from a hypothetical criminal investigation and examine PCR profiles of several potential suspects
Compose an affidavit identifying the suspect and the supporting PCR evidence
The steps to follow:
Research the technique and science of PCR, using the suggested videos, and complete DNA Analysis: PCR (file can be found above).
Using PCR Profiles: Who Killed Clotilda? (file can be found above), read background information on the crime. Compare the PCR profiles derived from crime scene evidence to those of the victim and the suspects.
Write a one-page affidavit, according to the directions in PCR Profiles: Who Killed Clotilda?. Justify your identification by discussing the validity of PCR analysis in criminal cases.
Requirements: 1 page
Answer preview
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) refers to a certain laboratory process that produces many copies of specified parts of DNA. A small amount of DNA can be multiplied into many more copies of the specimen through PCR for more analysis through PCR. This part of DNA may be anything the researcher wants to find out more about. For example, it could be a part whose role the researcher wants to understand or even to match DNA samples obtained at a crime scene by forensic experts (Sensabaugh & Von Beroldingen, 2019). For instance, DNA samples from tissues such as blood and hair on a crime scene can be multiplied and then examined against those of suspects to see whether they match. Simply put, the main objective of Polymerase chain reaction is to make more copies of the DNA that a researcher wants to study or for any other use, such as sequencing or cloning experiments.
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