Forensic Genomics, a new peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., is now open for submissions, welcoming research and knowledge from multiple disciplines, professions, methodologies and paradigms. Spearheaded by Editor-in-Chief David Mittelman, founder and CEO of Othram Inc., the journal will be published quarterly in print and online.
“The last three years of DNA testing for forensics has been dominated by CODIS and STR testing. There is now a new way—genome-wide identification that provides 10s or 100s of thousands of markers that can be used to do everything from genealogy to more advanced relationship testing,” Mittelman told Forensic. “This is going to become more of a widely accepted and utilized technique, but it requires a different skillset, a different validation. That’s why we thought now was the right time—it’s a whole different period now.”
The journal will focus on the use of the latest DNA testing technologies, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and genealogical research methods to support human identification using inference tools and inductive reasoning. Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:
- DNA isolation techniques
- Methods for rootless hair, touch DNA and other forensic inputs
- Human enrichment techniques and mitigation of non-human contaminants
- Mixture deconvolution methods
- DNA sequencing and next generation sequencing
- Microarray testing platforms for genome-wide analysis
- WGS and panel sequencing platforms
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mittelman said he expects a deluge of papers on the forensic investigation of cold cases.
“Right now, the hottest topic is being able to develop new methods to sort out the identities of folks in cold cases that were previously unable to be identified—Jane and John Does that have been unknown for decades, serial criminals that have never made it into CODIS. Anything that helps identify these folks is really exciting.”
Mittelman’s own expertise falls within this area of research. His company, Othram, is the only private lab in the U.S. to conduct the entire forensic investigation process end-to-end with no outsourcing. Mittelman says the team at Othram is able to push the limits and work with genetic information others wouldn’t be able to. For example, they recently identified a man who went missing in 1987 despite having les than a fifth of a nanogram of badly degraded and heavily contaminated DNA. Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) and a combination of proprietary enrichment methods and sequencing protocols allowed Othram to reconstruct a genealogical profile and match it to the victim’s mother.
“At Othram, we’re not interested in the first couple cases or the most notorious serial killer,” Mittelman said. “What we’re interested in is how are we going to access evidence for the next 10,000 cases? How are we going to build skill and technology so this becomes the standard? CODIS changed forensic testing when it debuted in the 90s. That’s what we need here—a secondary process or framework for when CODIS can’t provide an answer. We can immediately flip to this other technology and figure out who the forensic evidence is pointing to.”
That desire to build a framework is another reason Mittelman thought the time was right to create Forensic Genomics.
“There is a lot of standardization work to be done,” he said. “There is a lot more data to collect on all different use cases and ways it can and cannot be used, and how to use it. A lot of people try to jump into advanced methods, which is good, but not every method or even form of sequencing is the same. What are the pro and cons of various methods?”
Of course, there will be many papers published regarding forensic laboratory techniques, but Mittelman and the editorial board are also interested in the other sides of forensic technology, such as the development of reference materials and standards and comparison methods and benchmarks. Algorithms developed on the premise of machine learning, big data, deep learning and artificial intelligence are also important to the journal, as well as procedure, such as policies for ethical and responsible approaches to human identification.
Joining Mittelman on the Forensic Genomics editorial team is renowned genetic genealogist CeCe Moore (Parabon Nanolabs), as well as Amy Michael (University of New Hampshire), Bobby LaRue (Sam Houston State University), Denise Syndercombe-Court (King's College, London) and Robert Bever (Bode Cellmark Forensics).
When submitting a paper to Forensic Genomics, authors have the choice to put it behind a paywall or make it open access. If interested, manuscripts can be submitted online using the publisher’s Manuscript Central.
Photo credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.