Under the Microscope – Julie Valentine
A collaborative database was created in Utah to link data on sexual assault kits (SAKs) from evidence collection through submission to the state crime laboratory and DNA analysis. To date, approximately 250 variables per sexual assault kit have been coded on 4,038 cases from 2010 to 2016 throughout Utah. Due to the large amount of […]
Under the Microscope – Amy Jeanguenat
Bias used to be a topic that was avoided in forensic science; it was dismissed and no one want to be labeled as having it. However, the acknowledgement that as human beings we have cognitive bias is now being embraced and being considered as part of considerations in workflow and performance in forensic testing. In […]
Under the Microscope – Sara Katsanis and Jen Wagner
As the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy unfolded in Spring-Summer 2018, so too did a barrage of stories around migrant children being separated from their parents, and then mandates to re-unify them by judge-ordered deadlines. Atop the chaos were calls for DNA testing to screen migrants for trafficking, offers from genomics companies to donate tests and reagents, and […]
Under the Microscope – Sarah Dingle
DNA analysis is a powerful tool for researchers, scientists and law enforcement. But in the everyday lives of people across the globe, affordable access to DNA testing has brought about a seismic shift. For the first time, donor conceived people can find their biological fathers, mothers or siblings. Donor conception has exploded in the last […]
Under the Microscope – Walther Parson
Unknown perpetrators of crime cannot be identified with the current forensic use of DNA. The European Horizon 2020 Project VISAGE (Visual Attributes Through Genomics) aims to overcome this limitation by developing, validating, and implementing a set of molecular genetic tools for predicting appearance, age, and ancestry from unknown trace donors directly from their traces left […]
Under the Microscope – Jennifer Janetsky
Situated 60 miles north of Detroit, Flint was a Michigan boomtown and the birthplace of GM more than 100 years ago. In the 1980’s GM famously shuttered the Fisher 1 Body Plant, ripping out the heart of Buick City, and sending 80,000 people to the unemployment line overnight. Those who could leave did, and those […]
Systems Thinking and DNA Mixtures
Do you struggle with DNA mixture interpretation? Would you like to learn more about systems thinking and how this approach can positively impact mixture interpretation results and probabilistic genotyping outcomes? Are you interested in better understanding the differences and relationships between sensitivity, resolution, analytical thresholds, and other relevant analytical figures? In her workshop at ISHI […]
The Future is Now for MPS mtDNA Analysis
Are you wondering what role MPS plays in forensic mtDNA analysis? Would you like to learn what systems are currently available for forensic MPS mtDNA analysis? Does the thought of validating and implementing MPS in your lab leave you anxious? In their workshop at ISHI 29, Mitchell Holland of Penn State University and Michael Brandhagen […]
Preparing as an Expert Witness: Then and Now
Robin Cotton has testified as an expert witness in 35 states. Here, she describes what testifying was like in the early days of DNA, shares tips for how to simplify complicated terms for the jury, and explains why it’s important to speak to the science, no matter who is asking the question. […]