Evaluating Efficiency in Laboratory Methods for Testing Sexual Assault Kits

Authors

• Renee Mercer, Duquesne UniversityFollow

Abstract

Sexual assault kits (SAKs) are a collection of physical evidence from a sexual assault victim. SAK testing provides victims justice and helps prevent repeated crime through the addition of perpetrator DNA into criminal databases. With large numbers of SAKs being collected yearly, the limitations of common laboratory procedures and resources create a backlog of SAKs. For that reason, there is a need for more efficient testing. This review evaluates three different methods of testing throughout this process. Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase Amplification and Proximity Ligation Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction confirms body fluid identification. The Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay reaction amplifies a sample’s DNA quantity. Integration and combination of these methods could aid forensics laboratories in faster testing to reduce the current SAK backlog.

First Page

30

Last Page

38

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Mercer, R. (2025). Evaluating Efficiency in Laboratory Methods for Testing Sexual Assault Kits. D.U.Quark, 9 (1). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/duquark/vol9/iss1/7