Yield Gel

• Quality of DNA can be assessed (level of degradation)

• Carcinogenic chemical (EtBr)
• Not as sensitive as other methods
• Uses intercalating dye requiring double-stranded DNA
• Not human DNA specific
• Not automatable

Absorption Spectrophotometry

• Rapid process
• Quality of DNA can be assessed (level of degradation)
• Relatively inexpensive
• Automatable

• Not human DNA specific

Fluorometry

• Semi-selective for double-stranded DNA
• Relatively sensitive for DNA detection
• Automatable

• Not human DNA specific
• Quality of DNA cannot be assessed (level of degradation)

Slot Blot Hybridization

• Human DNA specific
• Easy to analyze

• Not automatable
• More labor intensive than some other methods
• Semi-quantitative
• Quality of DNA cannot be assessed (level of degradation)

AluQuant™

• Sensitive
• Automatable
• Human DNA specific

• Quality of DNA cannot be assessed

SYBR^® Green

• Sensitive
• Indications of inhibition 14
• Less expensive - no requirement for probes

• No commercial kit available
• Binds to double stranded DNA
• Must be placed in a dedicated room due to amplified product

Fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET)

• Rapid process
• Higher precision and accuracy compared to other methods
• Automatable
• Human DNA specific
• Indications of inhibition
• Sensitive

• Must be placed in a dedicated room due to amplified product
• No commercial kit currently available for all methods (molecular beacons)