University of North Texas Health Science Center
This project will field test newer technologies that may provide a more effective means for the identification of human remains and missing persons. Alternatively, one or more of these technologies may provide a cost-effective means of obtaining additional genetic information to augment the data generated using our conventional methodologies. This project will evaluate these newer technologies as a potential solution to the typing issues commonly encountered when analyzing skeletal remains. The goal is to develop a strategy based on all available current technologies to maximize the ability to derive useful genetic information for the identification of missing persons and unidentified human remains. The technologies that will be evaluated are mini-STRs available through NIST (developed by Dr. John Butler in conjunction with Dr. Bruce McCord from Ohio University), Orchid Cellmark's nuclear SNP (single locus polymorphism) panels, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) coding region SNPs.
National Center for Forensic Science
Human identification has always been a critical aspect of the medical examiner's/coroner's mission. With the increase of mass disasters (terrorist attacks, natural disasters, transportation accidents, etc.), the collection and preservation of human remains at the scenes of these disasters are critical issues for first responders, scene processors, and forensic scientists. Technology can enhance and/or enable the identification of the remains. This Focus Group will identify the community needs, identify technologies that will enhance the capabilities of the community, inform the community of these technologies, and identify needed technologies.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is present in several thousand copies in each cell, making it easier to recover when the DNA evidence is of poor quality or limited in quantity. See projects that address mtDNA.
Biological samples collected from crime scenes, mass disasters, and missing persons cases may have been exposed to harsh environmental conditions such as heat, direct sunlight, and water that break down the chemical structure of DNA. Environmental exposure damages DNA by randomly breaking the molecules into smaller pieces. Inhibitors of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), such as some textile dyes, can also interfere with the ability to recover a full DNA profile from biological evidence. New DNA tests are being developed to recover information from smaller regions of DNA, which are more likely to be intact following DNA damage. See projects that address compromised DNA evidence.
