Automated processing of sexual assault samples to enable rapid DNA analysis

在NSERC联盟的提案中，安大略省法医科学中心（CFS）、ANDE和多伦多大学的惠勒研究小组共同探索开发下一代自动化法医DNA分型系统，用于处理性侵犯样本。我们是执行这个项目的理想团队，因为CFS是加拿大最大的法医科学研究所，负责协调在该省及其他地区部署法医分析工具，ANDE是快速DNA分析系统制造和销售的全球领导者，该系统在全球范围内被用于刑事调查、失踪人员、性犯罪、边境安全和灾难受害者识别等用例。惠勒集团在使用数字微流体（DMF）和光电子镊子（OET）两种技术自动化复杂的多步骤样品处理程序方面有着悠久的历史。我们建议开发两种新的自动化系统，以弥合性侵犯样本自动分析的关键差距。第一个系统将使用DMF对“典型”性侵犯样本进行自动微分提取；第二个将自动化oet驱动的细胞分选技术，从降解样品中提取少量精子细胞（目前通常无法测试）。如果成功，这些系统应该可以在靠近需要点的地方（医院和警察局）使用，如果广泛分发，将大大减少分析性侵犯所需的时间。因此，这个项目不仅仅是一个标准的“产学研”合作（由NSERC“选项1”联盟资助的那种）。该项目有可能在加拿大产生深刻而广泛的社会影响，因此适合联盟独特的“选项2”资助机制。

In this NSERC Alliance proposal, The Ontario Centre for Forensic Sciences (CFS), ANDE, and the Wheeler research group at the University of Toronto have come together to explore the development of next-generation automated forensic DNA typing systems for processing sexual assault samples. We are an ideal team to pursue this project, as CFS is the largest forensic science institute in Canada and coordinates the deployment of tools for forensic analysis on the ground in the province and beyond, ANDE is the global leader in the manufacture and sales of Rapid DNA Analysis systems, which are being leveraged around the globe in use cases spanning criminal investigations, missing persons, sex crimes, border security and disaster victim identification, and the Wheeler group has a long track record in automating intricate, multi-step sample processing procedures using the two techniques envisioned for the proposal, digital microfluidics (DMF) and optoelectronic tweezers (OET). We propose to develop two new automated system that will bridge critical gaps that stand in the way of automated analysis of sexual assault samples. The first system will automate differential extraction using DMF for "typical" sexual assault samples; the second will automate an OET-driven cell sorting technique to extract small numbers of sperm cells from degraded samples (that are, today, often not testable). If successful, these systems should be operable close to the point of need (in hospitals and police stations), which, if distributed widely, would dramatically reducing the time required for analysis of sexual assaults. Thus, this project is much more than a standard "industry-academia" collaboration (of the sort that is funded by NSERC "option 1" Alliance grants). This project has the potential to result in deep and widely experienced societal impact in Canada, making it appropriate for the unique "option 2" mechanism of Alliance grants.