GENDER IDENTIFICATION OF DRIED HUMAN BLOODSTAINS USING FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION

Identification of the gender of an individual(s) from whom a bloodstai n is derived represents important evidence in medicolegal cases, The e fficacy of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using chromosome X and Y centromeric probes was tested to determine its ability to iden tify correctly the gender of extracted dried bloodstains. In this prel iminary study, FISH correctly identified the gender of 2-week-old drie d bloodstains in prepared mixtures of male-to-female blood as low as 1 %. The technique is accurate, rapid, sensitive, easily performed and r eadily available. This application of FISH as a forensic laboratory te chnique holds great promise.