STR Training Materials

Workshops at American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting (Washington, DC), February 18-19, 2008

• Peter Vallone (chair): "qPCR: Human DNA Quantification using Real-Time PCR Assays" 

• John Butler (chair): "DNA Mixture Interpretation: Principles and Practice in Component Deconvolution and Statistical Analysis"

PowerPoint slides for figures from Forensic DNA Typing (2nd Edition) [181 slides, 8.72 Mb file]

DNA Section Training Manual [2.5 Mb pdf file] for the Missouri State Highway Patrol Forensic Laboratory - an example of information taught, required reading, and expectations for DNA analysts and technicians in training - provided by Ruth Montgomery of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Laboratory

PowerPoint Presentations and Slide Shows

• Background Information (20 slides)
• STR Technology (15 slides)
• Y-Chromosomal STRs (40 slides)
  from talk given by John Butler at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Fourth Annual DNA Forensics Meeting June 1, 2000 
• ISFG 2001 Talk (33 slides)
  given by John Butler at 19th Congress of the International Society of Forensic Genetics (Munster, Germany) August 30, 2001 
• Training on STR Typing Using Commercial Kits and ABI 310/3100     Part 1 (44 slides)    Part 2 (44 slides)
  Margaret C. Kline, Janette W. Redman, John M. Butler
  October 22-26, 2001
• John Butler and Bruce McCord workshop at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Seattle, WA), February 20, 2006
  • STR Biology, Markers, and Methods (69 slides, 5.4 Mb file)
  • Capillary Electrophoresis Instrumentation: Theory and Application (73 slides, 5.4 Mb)
  • Validation Aspects to Consider in Bringing a New STR Kit "On-Line" (91 slides, 9.1 Mb)
  • CE Troubleshooting (72 slides, 8.5 Mb)
  • STR Mixture Interpretation (46 slides, 2.1 Mb)
  • DNA Quantitation with Real-time qPCR and Low Copy Number Issues (63 slides, 3.8 Mb)
  • Y-STRs and mtDNA (57 slides, 2.8 Mb)

PDF Versions of Presentations  

(recommended for lower bandwidths; requires Adobe Acrobat; Click Adobe icon to download) 

• Background Information (20 slides)
• STR Technology (15 slides)
• Y-Chromosomal STRs (40 slides)
  from talk given by John Butler at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Fourth Annual DNA Forensics Meeting June 1, 2000 
• ISFG 2001 Talk (33 slides)
  given by John Butler at 19th Congress of the International Society of Forensic Genetics (Munster, Germany) August 30, 2001 
• Training on STR Typing Using Commercial Kits and ABI 310/3100     Part 1 (44 slides)    Part 2 (44 slides)
  Margaret C. Kline, Janette W. Redman, John M. Butler
  October 22-26, 2001

• John Butler and Bruce McCord workshop at Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists (Mystic, CT), September 29-30, 2004 "Capillary Electrophoresis in DNA Analysis"

  • [STR Analysis]

  • [Intro to CE]

  • [Data Interpretation]

  • [RT-PCR and miniSTRs]

  • [Higher Throughput Approaches]

  • [Troubleshooting the ABI 310]

  • [Additional Topics]

   

• John Butler and Bruce McCord workshop for the University of Albany DNA Academy (Albany, NY), June 13-14, 2005

  • [STR Analysis]

  • [Intro to CE and ABI 310]

  • [Validation and Interlaboratory Studies]

  • [Real-time qPCR and miniSTRs]

  • [Statistics and Higher Throughput Approaches for STR Typing]

  • [Y-Chromosome Analysis]

  • [Troubleshooting CE Systems]

   

• Robyn Ragsdale and John Butler Validation Workshop held at the National Forensic Science Technology Center (Largo, FL), August 24-26, 2005

  • [Introductions]
  • [Validation Overview]
  • [Introduction to DAB Standards]
  • [Developmental Validation]
  • [Inconsistencies in Validation Between Labs]
  • [Internal Validation
  • [Method Modifications and Performance Checks]

   

• John Butler and Bruce McCord workshop at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Seattle, WA), February 20, 2006
  • [STR Biology, Markers, and Methods]
  • [Capillary Electrophoresis Instrumentation: Theory and Application]
  • [Validation Aspects to Consider in Bringing a New STR Kit "On-Line"]
  • [CE Troubleshooting]
  • [STR Mixture Interpretation]
  • [DNA Quantitation with Real-time qPCR and Low Copy Number Issues]
  • [Y-STRs and mtDNA]

   

• Mike Coble - part of mtDNA Workshop held at the National Forensic Science Technology Center (Largo, FL), March 13-15, 2006
  • [Introduction to mtDNA]
  • [mtDNA Coding Region and Haplogroups]
• Suni Edson (Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory) - part of mtDNA Workshop held at the National Forensic Science Technology Center (Largo, FL), March 13-15, 2006
  • [Forensic Casework Applications of mtDNA]
  • [Emerging DNA Technologies: Applications and Information to Resolve Common Mitotypes]

   

• Becky Hill - part of Expert Systems Workshop at 2nd Annual Present and Future Technological Advances in Human Identification Conference (Roanoke, VA), March 27, 2006 [NIST Experience with FSS-i3]

   

• John Butler and Bruce McCord workshop for the NERFI DNA Academy II and Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory (Sudbury, MA), April 27-28, 2006
  • [STR Biology, Markers, and Methods]
  • [Capillary Electrophoresis]
  • [Validation Aspects to Consider]
  • [STR Mixture Interpretation]
  • [Low Copy Number DNA Testing]
  • [CE Troubleshooting]

   

• John Butler - part of Forensic DNA Workshop at the Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists meeting (Richmond, VA), May 3, 2006
  • [Introduction to Low Copy Number (LCN) DNA Testing Issues]

   

• John Butler - Validation Workshop at Applied Biosystem's HID University/Future Trends in Forensic DNA Technology seminar series (Albany, NY), May 10, 2006

• John Butler - workshop to New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner Forensic Biology section (New York City, NY), June 6, 2006
  • [General Introduction to DNA, PCR, and STRs]
  • [Capillary Electrophoresis and ABI 3100]
  • [Real-time qPCR DNA Quantitation and Low-Copy Number DNA Issues]
  • [Mixture Interpretation]
  • [Validation Studies]

  • [Y-STRs and mtDNA]

   

• Peter Vallone and Cristian Orrego - qPCR Workshop held at the National Forensic Science Technology Center (Largo, FL), July 26-27, 2006

  • [Introduction]

  • [Quantitation Using PCR]

  • [Instrumentation]

  • [Signals and Probes]

  • Selected Forensic qPCR Assays: [VT Alu SYBR Green and Quantifiler] [CA DOJ nuclear/mtDNA duplex and CA DOJ degradation triplex]

  • [Maintenance, Validation, etc.]

  • [Data Analysis and Troubleshooting]

  • [qPCR Analysis Software for ABI 7000 & 7500]

• John Butler - training workshop for Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension DNA Laboratory (St. Paul, MN), August 7, 2006
  • [Capillary Electrophoresis and ABI 3100] [CE Troubleshooting] [Expert Systems] [LCN and DNA Quantitation] [STR Mixture Interpretation] [Y-STRs and mtDNA]

   

• John Butler - workshop for Segunda Reuni�n Internacional en Gen�tica Forense (Tuxtla Guti�rrez, Chiapas, Mexico), August 17, 2006
  • [STR DNA Analysis and Capillary Electrophoresis- English]
  • [An�lisis de ADN/STR y Electroforesis Capilar  - Espa�ol] - translation by Lilly Moreno (Florida International University)

   

• John Butler and Mike Coble - Y-Chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA Workshop for the Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists (NEAFS) (Rye Brook, NY), November 1, 2006
  • [Introduction] [Lineage Markers]
  • Y-Chromosome [Background and Y-SNPs] [Y-STR Markers, Core Loci, Nomenclature, and Kits] [Populations, Mutations, and Statistics] [Value of Additional Loci] [Casework Examples and Resources]
  • Mitochondrial DNA [Section 1] [Section 2] [Section 3] [Section 4] - not all topics covered due to lack of time

   

• John Butler - workshop for New Jersey State Police DNA Laboratory (Hamilton, NJ), December 5-6, 2006
  • [Introductions] [CE Fundamentals] [CE Troubleshooting] [Mixture Interpretation] [qPCR and Low-Copy Number DNA Testing]

  • [miniSTRs] [Validation Essentials] [Fundamentals of Statistics and Population Genetics] [Mitochondrial DNA] [Y-STRs]

• John Butler - Houston DNA Training Workshop (Houston, TX), April 3-4, 2007
  • [CE Fundamentals] [STR Artifacts] [CE Troubleshooting]
  • [Mixture Interpretation] [More Mixtures] [qPCR and Low-Copy Number DNA Testing] [miniSTRs]

   

• John Butler workshop for Pennsylvania State Police DNA Lab (Greensburg, PA), June 5, 2007 "Validation Workshop and Other Topics" [Validation] [qPCR and LCN Issues]

   

• John Butler pre-conference workshops at International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) meeting  (Copenhagen, Denmark), August 20-21, 2007,

  • "Capillary Electrophoresis: Fundamentals and Troubleshooting" [.pdf]

  • Validation and Implementation of New Technologies" [.pdf]

   

• John Butler workshop at Southern Association of Forensic Scientists (SAFS) meeting (Atlanta, GA), September 11, 2007, "Mixture Interpretation Workshop"

   

• John Butler workshop at Northeastern Association of Forensic Scientists (Bolton Landing, NY), November 2-3, 2007

  • "The Cutting Edge of DNA Testing: Mixture Interpretation, miniSTRs, and Low Level DNA" [.pdf]

   

• qPCR and Mixture Interpretation Workshops at American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting (Washington, DC), February 18-19, 2008

  • Peter Vallone (chair): "qPCR: Human DNA Quantification using Real-Time PCR Assays" 

  • John Butler (chair): "DNA Mixture Interpretation: Principles and Practice in Component Deconvolution and Statistical Analysis"

   

• John Butler workshop at the CE User's Group (Ammendale, MD), April 10, 2008, "Mixture Interpretation Discussion" [.pdf]

• John Butler workshop for Florida Statewide DNA Training (Indian Rocks Beach, FL), May 12-13, 2008 "STRs, CE, and Mixtures"

   

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