Fig. 1

A multi-step workflow of miRNA profiling for identification of forensically significant body fluid. One can either first collect body fluid (1) or can select miRNA markers for analysis (4) Then, extraction is performed using a commercially available isolation kit (2) followed by quality and quantity assessment of nucleic acid (3) For extraction method selection factors to consider include sample type, storage and input as well as the purpose of the study. Finally, miRNA analysis is done using one or more detection platforms alone or in combination. For miRNA profiling other factors also need to be considered such as whether the sample was digested with DNase or not, and the cDNA input and synthesis method. In the case of RT-qPCR, normalization must be performed with reference genes