Under the Microscope – Lawrence Wein
The genealogy process is typically the most time-consuming part of – and a limiting factor in the success of – investigative genetic genealogy. In his presentation at ISHI, Lawrence Wein will present a systematic approach to efficiently perform the genealogy portion of investigative genetic genealogy. He and his colleagues have formulated a two-stage mathematical model […]
The Foundling: Updates on Paul Fronczak’s Inspiring Story
Like most kids before Christmas, 10 year-old Paul Fronczak was eager to learn what presents would be waiting for him under the tree. As he ducked into the crawlspace, he discovered boxes that had been tucked away towards the back. His anticipation grew as he began to peer into the boxes, imagination wild with what […]
Forensic Genealogy and Missing Persons Cases
In this interview, we talk with Dr. Bruce Budowle, Director for the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas Health Science Center to learn more about the challenges that come with identifying missing persons cases and how forensic genetic genealogy is becoming a powerful tool to provide identities. Dr. Budowle began his […]
Identifying the Oldest Doe Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy: Henry Joseph Loveless
In the summer of 1979, a family was searching for artifacts in Buffalo Cave, a dark lava tube outside of the small and remote town of Dubois, Idaho. Approximately 200 feet from the opening of the cave, the family discovered a burlap sack containing a mummified, clothed, and dismembered headless torso. In early spring of […]
GITAD: 20 Years of Experience in Quality Testing
In his presentation during the GCLAITH meeting during ISHI 31, Prof. Dr. Juan Carlos Alvarez (Laboratorio de Identificación Genética – Universidad de Granada) discussed the 20 years of accumulated experience that the interlaboratory exercise carried out by the Ibero-American Group of Work in DNA Analysis (GITAD) in most of the Latin American countries, Spain, and […]
Investigative Genetic Genealogy and Criminalistics – What is the Future?
Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) has been amazing in solving both cold and recent cases and for exonerating the innocent. Each day, another once-thought-to-be-intractable case is solved using this new-to-forensics means of human identification. We live in exciting times for forensic identification! Despite, or because of, this success, the use of genetic genealogical data for forensic […]
Determining the Size of the D18S51 Long Alleles Observed in the Costa Rican Population using Commercial Genotyping Kits with STRs
As previously reported, the Costa Rican population exhibits long alleles (not included in commercial allelic ladders) at the STR D18S51 locus, ranging from 28 to 40 Repetitions. These alleles were described using the PowerPlex®16 and AmpFLSTR™ Identifiler™. With the arrival of new commercial kits, it is necessary to identify these long alleles in D18S51 […]
Root-Cause Analysis: An Essential Step in the Management of Nonconformity
Considering that an Integrated Quality Management System is prone to continuous improvement, the occurrence of non-conformities within processes evaluated by external or internal authorities is inevitable. Therefore, the treatment of non-conformities should be carried out with objectivity and relevance and analyzing these causes and focusing on the root cause is critical. Only when the root […]
Rapid DNA Identification: Conception Boat Fire
In the early morning hours of September 2, 2019, a fire started in Santa Barbara County, just off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, on the Conception Dive boat with 39 passengers and crew on board. Five crew members were rescued and the remaining crew member and passengers located below deck when the fire started […]