DNA backlogs scrutinized

As forensic scientists deal with increasing work loads, pending legislation is poised to increase the already daunting backlogs DNA analysis laboratories are facing.

California’s Proposition 69 will mandate the collection of DNA samples from all felons, and from adults and juveniles arrested for or charged with specified crimes, and submission to the state DNA database. In five years, adults arrested for or charged with any felony will have to submit a DNA sample.

The rest of the country is moving in the same direction, said Richard Pinchin, USA marketing manager at FSS’s iforensic international division.

“Legislation such as Proposition 69 in California is an example of the way that the United States is transforming its approach to the use of forensic science,” Pinchin said. “It is set to have a major impact upon both convictions and upon domestic security.”

The United Kingdom currently uses a similar DNA collection process – the UK National DNA Database (DNAD). The database, which is run by Forensic Science Services Ltd. (FSS), currently contains the DNA profiles of 3.4 million people. Having worked with the DNAD since its inception in 1995, FSS says it can provide support and experience in the DNA analysis automation process as the process in the U.S. continues to evolve.

“By drawing upon some of the world’s most respected and established scientific technology, we are able to work in partnership with bodies across the United States and further afield to address issues such as DNA backlogs and to assist in counter-terrorism activities,” he said.

The Birmingham, England-based FSS is preparing to launch an alternative approach to clearing up DNA analysis backlogs in a way that it says may transform the way DNA analysis is completed.

iforensic announced today at Gov Sec, the Government Security Expo and Conference in Washington, D.C., that it will launch the new service/product portfolio, allowing agencies to clear out case backlogs without long-term capital investment. The solution involves the use of modular laboratories coupled with a combination of consultation and training services.

The plan involves:

• Strategic DNA consulting services – to help identify and redress areas where enhancements can be made.
• DNA facility solutions – a modular, temporary facility
• DNA process solutions – used to eliminate backlogs
• DNA profiling services – allows DNA analysis to be outsourced to an ISO 17025 accredited lab with DNA interpretation performed by experienced forensic scientists
• Family relationship/paternity ID services – a service designed to assist with missing persons and mass disasters
• Expert DNA software - from the FSS-i3 range of DNA profile interpretation solutions to the advanced FSS-iD DNA profile database
• Full training and process audit services

The facilities offered would allow customers to set up a lab without undertaking lengthy and comparatively expensive construction projects, company officials said in an interview with Forensic Magazine editors.

The building – a modular solution – comes shipped in an 8-foot by 8-foot by 20-foot container that unfolds to three times that size. It comes with laboratory grade flooring and benching. That space can then be filled with equipment targeting the agency’s specific needs, with FSS acting as the vendor and working in integration and site management.

Funding can follow several models: Customers can purchase the facility outright; they can lease it for however long it takes to clear up the backlog and then decide to keep it or not. The building can also be used to prove the validity of a new facility, said Richard Pinchin, USA marketing manager at iforensic.

The company’s iforensic international division said in a press release that the solution is designed to impact a range of areas, including crime reduction, DNA processing and profiling.