This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! FBI Laboratory Eliminates DNA-Processing Backlog (FBI.gov – 9/18/2026) A team of laboratory, data-management, and […]
Defensibility by Design: Embedding Auditability into Forensic Genome Sequencing
Othram has developed a new method to embed proof of proper handling and authenticity directly into the DNA evidence itself, adding a molecular layer of verification that complements traditional chain-of-custody records. Forensic DNA testing has always required results that are defensible. From its earliest use in criminal investigations and human identification, forensic genetics has operated […]
Meet Your ISHI 37 Speakers: Raman Sandhu-Kirmer
Mesa Forensic Laboratory replaced almost every major piece of its DNA workflow at once: new quantification kits, new amplification chemistries, new instruments, new thermocyclers. Every system passed validation. Turnaround times got worse. None of it was a science problem. The methods worked exactly as validated. What nobody planned for was staffing, training schedules, and a […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! New Jersey State Police and FBI Leverage Othram’s Identity Inference Platform to Identify the […]
Student Ambassador Poster Preview: Mia Gale on Getting Usable DNA from Rootless Hair Shafts
Mia Gale was taught that hair shafts don’t contain nuclear DNA worth pursuing. Her research produced full STR profiles from them anyway. Rootless hairs are common at crime scenes, but the nuclear DNA in a hair shaft is scarce, highly degraded, and mostly lost by standard extraction kits built for larger fragments. Her research optimized […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! Forensic Scientist Reflects on Work to Identify 9/11 Victims, 25 Years Later (KXAN – […]
Student Ambassador Poster Preview: Daniel Arend on DNA Transfer in Domestic Violence Cases
Daniel Arend’s biting samples told a clear story: even 16 hours after contact, and after volunteers had gone back to their normal day, DNA from the person of interest was recoverable at near-complete profile quality in most samples. His strangulation samples told a very different one. Skin-to-skin contact produced only partial profiles, often too low […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! Siena University and DNA Finders Present 3rd Annual Cold Case Day: Friday, September 25, […]
A Promise Kept
Written by: Mark Desire, Assistant Director of Forensic Biology, City of New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner Twenty-five years have passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, yet the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) continues to make identifications and has never turned away from the families of the […]