scholarly journals Interpretation of DNA data within the context of UK forensic science — evaluation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Puch-Solis ◽  
Susan Pope
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Database Search ◽  
Dna Profiling ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Criminal Trials ◽  
Kinship Analysis ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Forensic Dna Profiling ◽  
The Uk

Forensic DNA provides a striking contribution to the provision of justice worldwide. It has proven to be crucial in the investigative phase of an unsolved crime where a suspect needs to be identified, e.g. from a DNA database search both nationally and internationally. It is also a powerful tool in the assignment of evidential weight to the comparison of a profile of a person of interest and a crime scene profile. The focus of this document is the evaluation of autosomal profiles for criminal trials in the UK. A separate review covers investigation and evaluation of Y-STR profiles, investigation using autosomal profiles, kinship analysis, body identification and Forensic Genetic Genealogy investigations. In less than 40 years, forensic DNA profiling has developed from a specialist technique to everyday use. Borrowing on advances in genome typing technology, forensic DNA profiling has experienced a substantial increase in its sensitivity and informativeness. Alongside this development, novel interpretation methodologies have also been introduced. This document describes the state of the art and future advances in the interpretation of forensic DNA data.

scholarly journals Interpretation of DNA data within the context of UK forensic science — investigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Pope ◽  
Roberto Puch-Solis
Keyword(s):  
Forensic Science ◽  
Y Chromosome ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
International Crime ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Criminal Trials ◽  
Kinship Analysis ◽  
Chromosome Y ◽  
Forensic Genetic

This article is the second part of a review of the interpretation of DNA data in forensic science. The first part describes the evaluation of autosomal profile for criminal trials where an evidential weight is assigned to the profile of a person of interest (POI) and a crime-scene profile. This part describes the state of the art and future advances in the interpretation of forensic DNA data for providing intelligence information during an investigation. Forensic DNA is crucial in the investigative phase of an undetected crime where a POI needs to be identified. A sample taken from a crime scene is profiled using a range of forensic DNA tests. This review covers investigation using autosomal profiles including searching national and international crime and reference DNA databases. Other investigative methodologies described are kinship analysis; familial searching; Y chromosome (Y-STR) and mitochondrial (mtDNA) profiles; appearance prediction and geographic ancestry; forensic genetic genealogy; and body identification. For completeness, the evaluation of Y-STRs, mtDNA and kinship analysis are briefly described. Taken together, parts I and II, cover the range of interpretation of DNA data in a forensic context.

scholarly journals Awareness level on the role of forensic DNA database in criminal investigation in Nigeria: A case study of Benin city

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 007-014
Author(s):  
Udogadi Nwawuba Stanley ◽  
Blessing Nkiruka Akpata Chinyere
Keyword(s):  
Dna Profiling ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Statistical Tool ◽  
Benin City ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Forensic Dna Profiling ◽  
Awareness Level

Pieces of evidence have continued to emerge, demonstrating the extensive efficiency and effectiveness of the DNA database in assisting criminal investigations around the world. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the awareness level on the prominent role of Forensic DNA Database on Crime Investigation in Nigeria: a case study of Benin City. In conducting this research, a total of 458 questionnaires were distributed around Benin City between the periods of 12th January 2020 to 21st March 2020, with a particular focus on security agents and students. The questionnaire comprised of three main categories: Socio-demographic characteristics, Information about the National Forensic DNA Database, and Information about DNA evidence, and Nigeria Criminal Justice system. For the analysis of data collected; the statistical tool used was also Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 22 for windows. Responses were compared using chi-square and presented as counts and percentages. In determining the level of awareness, the following responses were obtained. Of the total population: 53.28% had no idea about forensics, 19.21% were uncertain and 27.54% knew about forensics. The same trend was observed with Forensic DNA profiling, 42.14% did not know, 22.27% were uncertain and 35.59% demonstrated good knowledge of Forensic DNA profiling. On the knowledge about the National Forensic DNA Database, 48.47% had no knowledge, 22.27% were uncertain and 29.26% were knowledgeable about it. The result of the present study revealed that the awareness level of the forensic DNA Database was found to be inadequate.

scholarly journals Assessment of QIAGEN™ Investigator® 24plex GO! kit workflow for autosomal STR profiling of forensic reference samples

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hashom Mohd Hakim ◽  
Hussein Omar Khan ◽  
Siti Afifah Ismail ◽  
Nurul Hazirah Mat Lazim ◽  
Japareng Lalung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pcr Amplification ◽  
Dna Profiling ◽  
Buccal Swab ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Str Typing ◽  
Str Analysis ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Autosomal Str ◽  
Dna Template ◽  
Reference Samples

Abstract Background DNA profiling has proven to be a valuable technique for identification of individuals in crime. Currently, the technique targets several short tandem repeat (STR) regions in human genome. However, increasing number of samples submitted for STR analysis may lead to delays due to the limited number of experienced analysts who might be available at any given moment and the time taken to complete lengthy DNA profiling procedures. This study was conducted to test the specificity, repeatability, reproducibility and robustness of Investigator® 24plex GO! kit for genotyping of reference samples submitted to the Royal Malaysian Police Forensic DNA Laboratory for DNA database. Material and methods In this study, Investigator® 24plex GO! kit was used to directly amplify STR loci from buccal swab cell of reference samples that had previously been STR typed using GlobalFiler™ Express kit. Capillary electrophoresis was carried out on a 3500xL Genetic Analyser using POP-4® Polymer. Amplified products were assigned to particular STR alleles using the GeneMapper ID-X version 1.4 software. Results Our study shows that STR profiles generated using Investigator® 24plex GO! gave concordance results with those previously obtained using the GlobalFiler™ Express kit. In addition, quality sensors included in the kit are of particular importance for determining the effectiveness of the PCR reaction and help to indicate the nature and quantity of DNA template for PCR amplification. Conclusion The Investigator® 24plex GO! kit is reliable for STR typing of reference samples.

‘The NDNAD Has No Ability in Itself to be Discriminatory’: Ethnicity and the Governance of the UK National DNA Database

Sociology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 976-992 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Skinner
Keyword(s):  
Black People ◽  
Crime Scene ◽  
Institutional Racism ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Dna Profiles ◽  
Political Governance ◽  
Ethnic Appearance

This article explores the place of ‘ethnicity’ in the operation, management and contestation of the UK National DNA Database (NDNAD). In doing so, it examines the limitations of bioethics as a response to political questions raised by the new genetics. The UK police forensic database has been racialised in a number of distinct ways: in the over-representation of black people in the database population; in the classification of all DNA profiles according to ‘ethnic appearance’; in the use of data for experiments to determine the ethnicity of crime scene DNA; and in the focus on ethnicity in public debate about the database. This racialisation presented potential problems of legitimacy for the NDNAD but, as the article shows, these have been partly neutralised through systems of ethico-political governance. In these systems of governance discussion of institutional racism has been postponed or displaced by other ways of talking about ethnicity and identity.

scholarly journals Efficient DNA Sampling in Burglary Investigations

Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Colin Charles Tièche ◽  
Markus Dubach ◽  
Martin Zieger
Keyword(s):  
Crime Scene ◽  
Forensic Dna ◽  
Dna Profile ◽  
Dna Database ◽  
Dna Sampling ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Crime Scene Investigators ◽  
Dna Collection ◽  
Private Homes ◽  
Reference Samples

In terms of crime scene investigations by means of forensic DNA-analyses, burglaries are the number one mass crime in Switzerland. Around one third of the DNA trace profiles registered in the Swiss DNA database are related to burglaries. However, during the collection of potential DNA traces within someone’s residence after a burglary, it is not known whether the sampled DNA originated from the perpetrator or from an inhabitant of said home. Because of the high incidence of burglaries, crime scene investigators usually do not collect reference samples from all the residents for economical and administrative reasons. Therefore, the presumably high probability that a DNA profile belonging to a person authorized to be at the crime scene ends up being sent to a DNA database for comparison, has to be taken into account. To our knowledge, no investigation has been made to evaluate the percentage of these non-perpetrator profiles straying into DNA databases. To shed light on this question, we collected reference samples from residents who had been victims of recent burglaries in their private homes. By comparing the profiles established from these reference samples with the profiles generated from trace DNA, we can show that the majority of the DNA samples collected in burglary investigations belong to the residents. Despite the limited number of cases included in the study, presumably due to a crime decline caused by the pandemic, we further show that trace DNA collection in the vicinity of the break and entry area, in particular window and door glasses, is most promising for sampling perpetrator instead of inhabitant DNA.

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