THE USE OF MINISATELLITE VARIANT REPEAT POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION (MVR-PCR) TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF SALIVA ON A USED POSTAGE STAMP

In this paper we report the identification of an individual using the MVR-PCR technique on DNA extracted from single and multiple discs (3 m m) punched from a licked stamp attached to an envelope. The individual 's code was successfully and uniquely matched to one already present w ithin a database of 500 MVR codes which had been generated in a separa te laboratory. The exercise illustrates the suitability of MVR-PCR for forensic samples and demonstrates the power of this rapid and novel i dentification system.