Forensic DNA Research and Development

Suggested Areas of Research: Priority will be given to proposals focusing on the following needs and requirements:

• General improvements to the “front end” of the forensic DNA analysis process.

Examples include:

1. Development of rapid screening methods for use at crime scenes to help assess the probative value of biological materials.

2. Development of non-/minimally destructive methods for biological evidentiary sample identification and/or collection.

3. Development of improved tools (e.g., substrates, devices, methods) for biological evidence preservation and/or storage. The tool must effectively maintain the integrity of the sample, and efficiently and consistently release the sample for subsequent analysis.

4. Development of non-/minimally destructive methods for DNA extraction.

5. Development of genetic screening methods for assessing probative value of evidentiary samples. This method could help crime laboratory analysts to focus the full analysis on the most probative samples, thus reducing the time currently spent on interpretation and reporting of samples that are non-probative.

• Physical separation of cells (sperm cells from female epithelial cells, epithelial cells from different sources, etc.) or other components (e.g., polymerase chain reaction [PCR] products) in mixtures from two or more individuals or sources. A method that can physically separate the various components of a mixture will benefit the overall DNA analysis method. The separation method must be successful on typical forensic samples (limited in yield, etc.) and must not reduce the efficiency of downstream DNA profiling methods.

• Identification and/or characterization of biological markers that have the potential to reveal additional or more powerful information about the source of the biological evidence. Examples include markers that have the potential to provide forensically useful information about the phenotype of the DNA contributor, markers that can reveal information about the circumstances surrounding a crime, markers that can augment other forensic DNA marker systems, or markers that can increase the discriminatory power of DNA.

• Improved tools for examining aged, degraded, limited, damaged, inhibited, or otherwise compromised DNA evidence. Examples include:

1. Development of tools to determine the condition of the DNA to assist crime laboratory analysts in selecting the appropriate DNA profiling approach.

2. Development of methods to repair damaged DNA evidence to increase the likelihood of obtaining a DNA profile.

3. Improvements to the methods for detection and/or removal of PCR inhibitors.

4. Other methods that will maximize the success rate of the analysis of compromised DNA evidence.

5. Improvements to the overall understanding of the processes and mechanisms that result in the inability to obtain a DNA profile from biological evidence.

• Novel approaches for genetic profiling. Examples include streamlined, portable, high-throughput, more informative, more sensitive, less susceptible to inhibition, non-PCRbased, and/or all-inclusive (e.g., DNA extraction through analysis) methods for analysis of biological evidence.

•Identification and/ or characterization of genetic marker systems that have the potential to advance the tools available for forensic pathology examinations.

Examples include (but are not limited to) genetic markers with the potential to provide information related to the determination of cause of death, post-mortem interval, and age of a wound. (Note: Proposals focusing on entomology will not be accepted.)

• Development of new or enhancement of existing population data for use in estimating frequencies of genetic markers used in forensic applications. A match in genetic markers requires statistical interpretation to provide weight for criminal justice purposes (for example, statistical analyses may be used to determine the frequency that a particular marker or combination of markers might occur at random in a population). Such statistical analyses require population data sets in order to make meaningful estimates of frequencies of marker data. Databases of genetic markers obtained from anonymous samples taken from populations are useful forensic tools that can provide investigative leads when biological evidence is recovered from crime scenes. Comprehensive, searchable, easily accessible, secure databases are needed for use in determining the statistical strength of DNA evidence found at crime scenes.

More Information
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl000905.pdf