The effect of common imaging and hot water maceration on DNA recovery from skeletal remains

Nearly all of the processed samples had reduced RFU values relative to the unprocessed samples, indicating some amount of genetic loss. This loss did not always translate into loss of profile completeness, since only a few samples had a reduction in the number of loci detected after processing. DNA yields were not significantly reduced by any one of the processing methods, however the results indicate that the damaging effects are additive. It is possible that processing may reduce a bone's DNA reservoir and as more procedures are preformed, the pool of available genetic information might be diminished. Many intrinsic and extrinsic factors can affect the recoverability of DNA from bone. Collecting a DNA sample prior to processing avoids the negative effects from hot water maceration and radiological imaging.