{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T18:25:09Z","timestamp":1786904709848,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":15,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786838400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786838400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Forensic Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Differential extraction is a core forensic DNA technique separating sperm cells from epithelial cells in sexual assault evidence, facilitating recovery of male DNA profiles from mixed biological samples. Effective physical separation reduces the occurrence of mixed DNA profiles, simplifies interpretation, and conserves analyst time. This process is especially critical for samples with low sperm cell counts, where successful recovery of a probative male profile may be limited. This study evaluated and compared manual and robotic differential extraction methods using 30 mock forensic vaginal swabs with microscopic sperm ratings ranging from 4+ to &lt;1+, representative of sexual assault samples encountered in forensic casework. Swabs were divided into equal portions and extracted in duplicate using both methods by two analysts for reproducibility. Manual and robotic differential extractions were performed using the Qiagen QIAamp\u00ae DNA Investigator Kit and standardized \u201cIsolation of Total DNA from Sexual Assault Specimens\u201d protocol for reagent and procedural consistency. Robotic extractions were conducted using the Qiagen QIAcube\u00ae. Performance metrics included DNA yield, DNA mixture incidence in epithelial and sperm fractions, and STR profile completeness. Robotic extraction demonstrated procedural consistency and reduced hands\u2010on processing time. However, manual differential extraction produced superior separation performance, with a lower incidence of DNA mixtures in sperm fractions. Samples processed using robotic protocols were significantly more likely to exhibit epithelial carryover into sperm fractions, complicating interpretation and resulting in inconclusive results. In contrast, manual extraction yielded cleaner sperm fractions and improved recovery of single\u2010source male DNA profiles, highlighting the trade\u2010offs between automation and manual separation.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/1556-4029.70425","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T17:50:33Z","timestamp":1786902633000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparison of automated and manual\n                    <scp>DNA<\/scp>\n                    differential extraction in mock vaginal sexual assault swabs"],"prefix":"10.1111","author":[{"given":"April","family":"Stonehouse","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Interdisciplinary Forensics Arizona State University  Glendale Arizona USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amanda","family":"Brasch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Interdisciplinary Forensics Arizona State University  Glendale Arizona USA"},{"name":"School of Life Sciences Arizona State University  Tempe Arizona USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pradhyumn","family":"Pradeep","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Sciences Arizona State University  Tempe Arizona USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00414\u2010024\u201003285\u20101"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/2041\u20102223\u20102\u201011"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/318577a0"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","first-page":"99","volume-title":"Fundamentals of forensic DNA typing","author":"Butler JM","year":"2009"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","unstructured":"CampbellR Fehler\u2010CabralG PierceSJ SharmaDB BybeeD ShawJ et\u00a0al.Detroit sexual assault kit (SAK) action research project (ARP) final report. Washington DC: US Department of Justice 2015 Dec; Report No.: NCJ 248680. Available from:https:\/\/www.ojp.gov\/pdffiles1\/nij\/grants\/248680.pdf. Accessed 19 Jul 2025."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1556\u20104029.13251"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ajcp.12428"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","unstructured":"Serological Research Institute.Christmas tree stain. 2011. Available from:https:\/\/serological.com\/forensic\u2010dna\u2010testing\/wp\u2010content\/uploads\/R540\u2010Insert.pdf. Accessed 2 Jun 2025."},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","first-page":"64","volume-title":"QIAamp\u00ae DNA investigator handbook. Protocol: isolation of total DNA from sexual assault specimens","author":"Qiagen","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_11_1","volume-title":"QIAcube\u00ae user manual version 1.3","author":"Qiagen","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_12_1","volume-title":"Quantifiler\u2122 HP and trio DNA quantification kits user guide","author":"Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc","year":"2018"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_13_1","volume-title":"GlobalFiler\u2122 and GlobalFiler\u2122 IQC PCR amplification kits user guide","author":"Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc","year":"2025"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_14_1","volume-title":"Applied biosystems GeneMapper ID\u2010X\u2122 v1.7","author":"Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc","year":"2023"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/1556\u20104029.14490"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_16_1","unstructured":"HessSA KraemerM TerramagraD GolabN RinkP CorneliusS et\u00a0al.Development of a new automated EZ2\u00ae Connect Fx sexual assault sample processing kit. Available from:https:\/\/www.qiagen.com\/en\u2010US\/resources\/download\/ScientificPoster\/ez2\u2010connect\u2010sex\u2010assault\u2010ishi\u2010scientific\u2010poster\u20100924\u2010ww\u2010qpro\u20108264. Accessed 14 Jul 2026."}],"container-title":["Journal of Forensic Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70425","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70425","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70425","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]],"date-time":"2026-08-16T17:50:34Z","timestamp":1786902634000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70425"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]]},"references-count":15,"alternative-id":["10.1111\/1556-4029.70425"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/1556-4029.70425","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0022-1198","1556-4029"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0022-1198","type":"print"},{"value":"1556-4029","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,16]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-02-01","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-07-14","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-08-16","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"1556-4029.70425"}}