Over the past several decades, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has played an increasingly important role in forensic analyses of various criminal cases. A few hairs left at a crime scene contain enough mtDNA for extraction. The hair shaft, which protrudes out of the scalp, does not contain any nuclear DNA. It does, however, contain mtDNA. While nuclear DNA is present in only two copies per cell, the small circular mtDNA molecule is present in hundreds to thousands of copies per cell making it very abundant. Mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited, and all of a woman’s offspring will have the same mtDNA profile. An advantage of this is that a single maternal relative of that person may provide a reference sample for comparison to a sample found at a crime scene.

Norgen’s Hair Mitochondrial DNA Isolation Kit provides a fast, reliable, and simple procedure for isolating mtDNA from hair shafts. Purification is based on spin column chromatography and the DNA is preferentially purified from other components. Typical yields will vary depending on the sample input volume used. The purified DNA is compatible with all downstream applications including PCR and NGS.