Here we introduce the “Perfect” STR profile, then explore the typical pitfalls encountered during STR analysis and offer practical solutions. Our aim is to help forensic scientists navigate these challenges to achieve consistent and accurate outcomes.
The forensic science community faces a significant challenge with the backlog of sexual assault evidence kits (SAEKs). Delays in processing these kits stem, in part, from the complexity of extracting and analyzing degraded and mixed DNA samples.
A senseless argument that led to the murder of a 34-year-old man in a Pennsylvania diner parking lot has now been solved thanks to facial recognition technology and DNA left on a Styrofoam cup at the crime scene 12 years earlier.
After being disbanded two years ago, the Portland Police Bureau has announced the reinstatement of the Cold Case Unit thanks to a grant awarded through the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
Laboratories in the United States already use direct PCR for reference samples where the DNA donor is known, but current federal quality assurance standards keep them from using direct PCR for forensic evidence.