Cold chain
Definition
The documented, unbroken sequence of temperature-controlled environments (refrigerated vehicle, controlled intake, laboratory refrigerator or freezer) through which perishable biological evidence passes from collection to analysis. A break occurs whenever evidence warms outside its required temperature range during any transfer.
Related terms
- Chain of custody
- The documented chronological record of who collected, handled, transferred, and examined a piece of evidence. For digital evidence, chain of custody includes...
- Deoxyribonuclease (DNase)
- An enzyme that cleaves the phosphodiester bonds in the DNA backbone, fragmenting double-stranded DNA into shorter pieces. Bacteria and fungi produce extracellular...
- Paper packaging
- The standard packaging material for biological evidence. Paper is gas-permeable: residual moisture evaporates through the packaging after sealing, preventing the humid microenvironment...
- Partial DNA profile
- A DNA profile in which results were obtained at fewer loci than the full STR panel used. Partial profiles arise from degraded...
- Q10 rule
- The empirical observation that most chemical and enzymatic reaction rates roughly double for every 10-degree Celsius increase in temperature. Applied to DNA...
Explained in
- Packaging, Storage and the Cold Chain for Biological EvidenceThe documented, unbroken sequence of temperature-controlled environments (refrigerated vehicle, controlled intake, laboratory refrigerator or freezer) through...