Promega PowerPlex Y23 STR system

Promega has announced the PowerPlex Y23 System - a rapid human identification Y-short tandem repeat (Y-STR) assay for forensic casework, offender databasing and relationship testing. Thermal cycling time is cut roughly in half, and the system is claimed to detect substantially more Y-STR loci than current systems. The multiplex system uses rapid cycling to co-amplify 23 Y-STR loci, which provides good discrimination. These 23 loci include many of the Y-STR loci found in key STR databases in the US and Europe.

The system works with extracted DNA, including difficult samples with lower amounts of template and male:female mixtures. Streamlined protocols are provided for reference, database and paternity testing. The combination of reduced sample preparation time and shorter cycling times results in a significant reduction in total time to process samples. For many laboratories, this will save more than a half day per plate.

In testing the product, a majority of testers were able to detect profiles with as little as 32.5 pg of DNA, and complete profiles were detected with 62 pg of male DNA in the presence of 400 ng of female DNA (6450-fold excess). The additional loci and increased gene diversity improves scientists’ ability to distinguish individuals from different paternal lines.

The system is useful in multiple applications, including paternity testing, offender databasing and forensic casework such as sexual-assault cases, missing-persons investigations and familial searching initiatives.