John M. Butler

NIST Building 227, Room B250
100 Bureau Drive
Gaithersburg , MD 20899-8312 USA
Phone: 301-975- 4049
E-mail: john.butler@nist.gov

John M. Butler

 

Education

  • B.S. Chemistry, Brigham Young University, 1992
  • Ph.D. Chemistry (Analytical), University of Virginia, 1995
  • Post Doc Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 1995-97

Current Research


Five major research areas:

•Develop new DNA assays that are more rapid and efficient than those currently used particularly with degraded specimens.
•Evaluate new genetic loci and develop technologies to aid forensic DNA typing.
•Develop DNA standard reference materials so that laboratories around the world may reliably compare their results.
•Conduct interlaboratory studies to improve understanding of factors impacting quality of results in DNA testing.
•Create standard information and training resources such as STRBase: http://www.cstl.nist.gov/biotech/strbase.


Publications

  1. Butler, J.M., McCord, B.R., Jung, J.M., Wilson, M.R., Budowle, B., Allen, R.O. (1994) Quantitation of PCR products by capillary electrophoresis using laser fluorescence.  J. Chromatogr. B 658: 271-280.

  2. Northrup, D.M., McCord, B.R., Butler, J.M. (1994) Forensic applications of capillary electrophoresis. J. Cap. Elec. 1: 158-168.

  3. Butler, J.M., McCord, B.R., Jung, J.M., Allen, R.O. (1994) Rapid separation of the short tandem repeat HUMTH01 by capillary electrophoresis.  BioTechniques 17: 1062-1070.

  4. Wilson, M.R., Polanskey, D., Butler, J., DiZinno, J.A., Replogle, J., Budowle, B. (1995) Extraction, amplification, and sequencing mitochondrial DNA from human hair shafts.  BioTechniques 18: 662-669.

  5. Butler, J.M., McCord, B.R., Jung, J.M., Lee, J.A., Budowle, B., Allen, R.O. (1995) Application of dual internal standards for precise sizing of polymerase chain reaction products using capillary electrophoresis.  Electrophoresis 16: 974-980.

  6. McCord, B.R., Isenberg, A.R., Butler, J.M., Allen, R.O. (1996) Rapid and automated genetic typing using capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of STRs and D1S80. Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Human Identification, Promega Corporation, 1995, pp. 81-87. http://www.promega.com/geneticidproc/ussymp6proc/mccord.htm

  7. Butler, J.M., Jiang-Baucom, P., Huang, M., Belgrader, P., Girard, J. (1996) Peptide nucleic acid characterization by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 68: 3283-3287.

  8. Jiang-Baucom, P., Butler, J.M., Belgrader, P., Girard, J. (1997) DNA typing of sequence polymorphisms by peptide nucleic acids probes and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.  Anal. Chem. 69: 4894-4898.

  9. Butler, J.M.  (1997) Effects of sample matrix and injection on DNA separations.  Analysis of Nucleic Acids by Capillary Electrophoresis (Heller, C., ed.), Vieweg: Germany, Chapter 5, pp. 125-134.

  10. Butler, J.M.  (1997) Separation of DNA restriction fragments and PCR products.  Analysis of Nucleic Acids by Capillary Electrophoresis (Heller, C., ed.), Vieweg: Germany, Chapter 8, pp. 195-217.

  11. Butler, J.M. and Reeder, D.J. (1997) STRBase: a short tandem repeat DNA database for the DNA typing community. Profiles in DNA, Promega Corporation, Volume 1, No. 2, p. 10. http://www.promega.com/profiles/102/ProfilesinDNA_102_10.pdf

  12. Butler, J.M., Wilson, M.R., Reeder, D.J. (1998) Rapid mitochondrial DNA typing using restriction enzyme digestion of PCR amplicons followed by capillary electrophoresis separation with laser-induced fluorescence detection.  Electrophoresis 19: 119-124.

  13. Butler, J.M. and Levin, B.C. (1998) Forensic applications of mitochondrial DNA.  Trends in Biotechnology 16: 158-162.

  14. Butler, J.M., Ruitberg, C.M., Reeder, D.J.  STRBase: a short tandem repeat DNA internet-accessible database.  Proceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Human Identification 1997, Promega Corporation, pp. 38-47. http://www.promega.com/geneticidproc/ussymp8proc/13.html

  15. Butler, J.M., Li, J., Monforte, J.A., Becker, C.H., Lee, S. (1998) Rapid and automated analysis of short tandem repeat loci using time-of-flight mass spectrometry.  Proceedings of the Eighth International Symposium on Human Identification 1997, Promega Corporation, pp. 94-101. http://www.promega.com/geneticidproc/ussymp8proc/28.html

  16. Butler, J.M., Li, J., Shaler, T.A., Monforte, J.A., Becker, C.H. (1998) Reliable genotyping of short tandem repeat loci without an allelic ladder using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Int. J. Legal Med. 112: 45-49.

  17. Butler, J.M. (1998) Rapid assessment of PCR product quality and quantity by capillary electrophoresis.  Methods in Molecular Biology Volume 98: Forensic DNA Profiling Protocols (Lincoln, P.J. and Thomson, J., eds.), Humana Press: Totowa, New Jersey, Chapter 6, pp. 39-47.

  18. Butler, J.M. (1998) The use of capillary electrophoresis in genotyping STR loci. Methods in Molecular Biology Volume 98: Forensic DNA Profiling Protocols (Lincoln, P.J. and Thomson, J., eds.), Humana Press: Totowa, New Jersey, Chapter 24, pp. 279-289.

  19. Li, J., Butler, J.M., Tan, Y., Lin, H., Royer, S., Ohler, L., Shaler, T.A., Hunter, J.M., Pollart, D.J., Monforte, J.A., Becker, C.H. (1999) Single nucleotide polymorphism determination using primer extension and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Electrophoresis 20:1258-1265.

  20. Butler, J.M., Stephens, K.M., Monforte, J.A., Becker, C.H. (1999) High-throughput STR analysis by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Proceedings of the Second European Symposium on Human Identification 1998, Promega Corporation, pp. 121-130. http://www.promega.com/geneticidproc/eusymp2proc/25.pdf

  21. Butler, J.M. and Reeder, D.J. (1999) Capillary electrophoretic separation of DNA fragments. Nucleic Acid Electrophoresis (Tietz, D., ed.), Springer-Verlag: Berlin, Germany, Chapter 7, pp. 170-192.

  22. Butler, J.M. (1999) STR analysis by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Profiles in DNA. Promega Corporation, Volume 2, No. 3, pp. 3-6. http://www.promega.com/profiles/203/ProfilesinDNA_203_03.pdf

  23. Butler, J.M. and Becker, C.H. (1999) High-throughput analysis of forensic STR and SNP markers using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Human Identification 1998, Promega Corporation, pp.43-51. http://www.promega.com/geneticidproc/ussymp9proc/content/10.pdf

  24. Schwarz, F.P., Robinson, S., Butler, J.M. (1999) Thermodynamic comparison of PNA/DNA and DNA/DNA hybridization reactions at ambient temperature. Nucleic Acids Res. 27: 4792-4800.

  25. Butler, J.M. (2000) MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Progress in Forensic Genetics 8 (Sensabaugh, G.F., Lincoln, P.J., and Olaisen, B., eds.), Elsevier Science: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 15-18.

  26. Ruitberg, C.M., Reeder, D.J., Butler, J.M. (2001) STRBase: a short tandem repeat DNA database for the human identity testing community. Nucleic Acids Res. 29: 320-322.

  27. McCord, B.R. and Butler, J.M. (2001) The application of capillary electrophoresis to the analysis of PCR products used in DNA typing. Methods in Molecular Biology: Clinical and Forensic Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis (Petersen, J. and Mohammad, A.A., eds.), Humana Press: Totowa, New Jersey, pp. 261-284.

  28. Butler, J.M. and Reeder, D.J. (2001) Detection of DNA polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP and capillary electrophoresis.  Methods in Molecular Biology: Capillary Electrophoresis of Nucleic Acids (Mitchelson, K.R. and Cheng, J., eds.), Humana Press: Totowa, New Jersey, Vol. 2, pp. 49-56.

  29. Butler, J.M., Devaney, J.M., Marino, M.A., Vallone, P.M. (2001) Quality control of PCR primers used in multiplex STR amplifications. Forensic Sci. Int., 119: 87-96.

  30. Butler, J.M., C.M. Ruitberg, Vallone, P.M. (2001) Capillary electrophoresis as a tool for optimization of multiplex PCR reactions, Fresenius J. Anal. Chem. 369: 200-205.

  31. Devaney, J.M. Pettit, E.L., Kaler, S.G., Vallone, P.M., Butler, J.M., Marino, M.A. (2001) Genotyping of two mutations in the HFE gene using single-base extension and high-performance liquid chromatography. Anal. Chem. 73: 620-624.

  32. Butler, J.M. and Becker, C.H. (2001) Improved analysis of DNA short tandem repeats with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.  Final Report for NIJ Grant 97-LB-VX-0003, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice (75 published pages); http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/188292.htm

  33. Schoske, R., Butler, J.M., Vallone, P.M., Kline, M.C., Prinz, M., Redd, A.J., Hammer, M.F. (2001) Development of Y STR megaplex assays. Proceedings of the Twelve International Symposium on Human Identification 2001, Promega Corporation. http://www.promega.com/geneticidproc/ussymp12proc/contents/butler.PDF

  34. Kline, M.C., Duewer, D.L., Redman, J.W., Butler, J.M., Boyer, D.A. (2002) Polymerse chain reaction amplification of DNA from aged blood stains: quantitative evaluation of the “suitability for purpose” of four filter papers as archival media. Anal. Chem. 74: 1863-1869.

  35. Vallone, P.M., Devaney, J.M., Marino, M.A., Butler, J.M. (2002) A strategy for examining complex mixtures of deoxyoligonucleotides using IP-RP HPLC, MALDI-TOF MS, and informatics. Anal. Biochem. 304: 257-265.

  36. Butler, J.M., Schoske, R., Vallone, P.M., Kline, M.C., Redd, A.J., Hammer, M.F. (2002) A novel multiplex for simultaneous amplification of 20 Y chromosome STR markers. Forensic Sci. Int. 129: 10-24.

  37. Butler, J.M., David, V.A., O’Brien, S.J., Menotti-Raymond, M. (2002) The MeowPlex: a new DNA test using tetranucleotide STR markers for the domestic cat. Profiles in DNA, Promega Corporation, Volume 5, No. 2, pp. 7–10. http://www.promega.com/profiles/502/ProfilesInDNA_502_07.pdf

  38. Redd, A.J., Agellon, A.B., Kearney, V.A., Karafet, T., de Knijff, P., Park, H., Butler, J.M., Hammer, M.F. (2002) Forensic value of fourteen novel STRs on the human Y chromosome. Forensic Sci. Int. 130: 97-111.

  39. Schoske, R., Vallone, P.M., Ruitberg, C.M., Butler, J.M. (2003) Multiplex PCR design strategy used for the simultaneous amplification of 10 Y chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) loci. Anal. Bioanal. Chem., 375: 333-343.

  40. Butler, J.M. High-throughput genotyping of short tandem repeat DNA markers with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, in press.

  41. Vallone, P.M. and Butler, J.M. Analysis of DNA single nucleotide polymorphisms by mass spectrometry. Encyclopedia of Mass Spectrometry, in press.

  42. Butler, J.M. and Vallone, P.M. (2004) High-throughput genetic analysis through multiplexed PCR and multi-capillary electrophoresis. PCR Technologies: Current Innovations (2nd edition), Weissensteiner, T., Griffin, H.G., Griffin, A. (Eds.), CRC Press: Boca Raton, Chapter 11, pp 111-120.

  43. Butler, J.M., Schoske, R., Vallone, P.M. Highly multiplexed assays for measuring polymorphisms on the Y-chromosome. (2003) Progress in Forensic Genetics 9 (Brinkmann, B. and Carracedo, A., eds.), Elsevier Science: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, International Congress Series 1239, pp. 301-305.

  44. Butler, J.M., Schoske, R., Vallone, P.M., Redman, J.W., Kline, M.C. (2003) Allele frequencies for 15 autosomal STR loci on U.S. Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic populations. J. Forensic Sci. 48(4):908-911.

  45. Kline, M.C., Duewer, D.L., Redman, J.W., Butler, J.M. (2003) NIST Mixed Stain Study 3: DNA quantitation accuracy and its influence on short tandem repeat multiplex signal intensity. Anal. Chem. 75: 2463-2469.

  46. Butler, J.M. (2003) Recent developments in Y-short tandem repeat and Y-single nucleotide polymorphism analysis. Forensic Sci. Rev. 15:91-111.

  47. Butler, J.M., Shen, Y., McCord, B.R. (2003) The development of reduced size STR amplicons as tools for analysis of degraded DNA. J. Forensic Sci 48(5): 1054-1064.

  48. Schoske, R., Vallone, P.M., Kline, M.C., Redman, J.W., Butler, J.M. (2004) High-throughput Y-STR typing of U.S. populations with 27 regions of the Y chromosome using two multiplex PCR assays, Forensic Sci. Int. 139: 107-121.

  49. Butler, J.M. (2005) Constructing STR multiplex assays. Methods in Molecular Biology: Forensic DNA Typing Protocols (Carracedo, A., ed.), Humana Press: Totowa, New Jersey, in press.

  50. Vallone, P.M. and Butler, J.M. (2004) Y-SNP typing of U.S. African American and Caucasian samples using allele-specific hybridization and primer extension. J. Forensic Sci. 49(4): 723-732.

  51. Butler, J.M. and Schoske, R. (2004) Forensic value of the multi-copy Y-STR marker DYS464. Progress in Forensic Genetics 10, Elsevier Science: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, International Congress Series 1261, 278-280.

  52. Vallone, P.M. and Butler, J.M. (2004) Multiplexed assays for evaluation of Y-SNP markers in U.S. populations. Progress in Forensic Genetics 10, Elsevier Science: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, International Congress Series 1261, 85-87.

  53. Chung, D.T., Drabek, J., Opel, K.L., Butler, J.M., McCord, B.R. (2004) A study on the effects of degradation and template concentration on the efficiency of the STR miniplex primer sets. J. Forensic Sci. 49(4): 733-740.

  54. Butler, J.M. (2004) Short tandem repeat analysis for human identity testing. Current Protocols in Human Genetics, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, Unit 14.8, (Supplement 41), pp. 14.8.1-14.8.22

  55. Vallone, P.M., Hamm, R.S., Coble, M.D., Butler, J.M., Parsons, T.J. (2004) A multiplex allele-specific primer extension assay for 11 forensically informative SNPs distributed throughout the mitochondrial genome., Int. J. Legal Med. 118: 147-157.

  56. Drabek, J., Chung, D.T., Butler, J.M., McCord, B.R. (2004) Concordance study between miniplex STR assays and a commercial STR typing kit, J. Forensic Sci. 49(4): 859-860.

  57.   Butler, J.M. and Schoske, R. (2004) Duplication of DYS19 flanking regions in other parts of the Y-chromosome, Int. J. Legal Med. 118: 178-183.

  58. Butler, J.M., Buel, E., Crivellente, F., McCord, B.R. (2004) Forensic DNA typing by capillary electrophoresis: using the ABI Prism 310 and 3100 Genetic Analyzers for STR analysis. Electrophoresis, 25: 1397-1412.

  59. Vallone, P.M. and Butler, J.M. (2004) AutoDimer: a screening tool for primer-dimer and hairpin structures, Biotechniques 37(2):226-231.

  60. Kline, M.C., Vallone, P.M., Redman, J.W., Duewer, D.L., Calloway, C.D., Butler, J.M. (2004) Mitochondrial DNA typing screens with control region and coding region SNPs, J. Forensic Sci., in press.

  61. Coble, M.D. and Butler, J.M. (2004) Characterization of new miniSTR loci to aid analysis of degraded DNA, J. Forensic Sci., in press.

  62. Vallone, P.M., Decker, A.E., Butler, J.M. (2004) Allele frequencies for 70 autosomal SNP loci with U.S. Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic samples, Forensic Sci. Int., in press.

  63. Duewer, D.L., Kline, M.C., Redman, J.W., Butler, J.M. (2004) NIST Mixed Stain Study #3: signal intensity balance in commercial short tandem repeat multiplexes, Anal. Chem., in press.

  64. Butler, J.M., Decker, A.E., Kline, M.C., Vallone, P.M. (2004) Chromosomal duplications along the Y-chromosome and their potential impact on Y-STR interpretation, submitted.

  65. Kline, M.C., Duewer, D.L., Redman, J.W., Butler, J.M. (2004) Results from the NIST 2004 DNA Quantitation Study, J. Forensic Sci., in press.

  66. Menotti-Raymond, M.A., David, V.A., Wachter, L.A., Butler, J.M., O’Brien, S.J. (2004) An STR forensic typing system for genetic individualization of domestic cat (Felis catus) samples, submitted.

  67. Butler, J.M., Decker, A.E., Vallone, P.M., Kline, M.C. (2004) Allele frequencies for 27 Y-STR loci with U.S. Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic samples, submitted.

  68. Butler, J.M., Appleby, J.E., Liu, D., Duewer, D.L. (2004) Locus-specific brackets for reliable typing of Y-chromosome short tandem repeat markers, submitted.