The Forensic Institute

27/10/2022

RSB Policy Internships
The RSB annually hosts two policy internship positions for current PhD students who are funded by AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, and NERC. The successful applicants each spend three months working at the RSB within our education or science policy teams. Start and end dates can be negotiated as appropriate.
Closes: 4 November 2022

The RSB annually hosts two policy internship positions for current PhD students who are funded by AHRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC, MRC, and NERC.    The successful applicants each spend three months working at the RSB within our education or science policy teams. Start and end dates can be negoti...

07/10/2022

At last, it's beginning to dawn for some that not all DNA gets on a surface by touch - the accurate, and less misleading, term is 'trace DNA', not 'touch DNA'.
"DNA profiles obtained in the absence of a body-fluid (from a targeted sampling strategy) are regularly referred to as ‘touch DNA’; however, this implies an activity that cannot be confirmed. The alternate term “trace DNA”, referring to DNA not attributable to a body-fluid and with no implication regarding the inference of direct contact, has been proposed [3,6–8] and will be adopted herein."

Transfer and persistence of DNA on items routinely encountered in forensic casework following habitual and short-duration one-time use. Atkinson et al. Forensic Science International: Genetics 60 (2022) 102737

Empirical data obtained from controlled experiments is necessary to ensure that sound expert opinion evidence is provided regarding transfer and persi…

06/10/2022

Nice to get thanks now and again:
"Can I first of all thank you for taking the time to give evidence at W's trial last week. As you may be aware, the client and his co-accused were acquitted of all charges, much to the dissatisfaction of the prosecution.
We are extremely grateful to you for your time in preparing for the case, the report provided and the evidence given at Court, we were all hugely impressed with your contribution to the case and W has asked me personally to send on his regards and indeed gratitude for your efforts.
I will not hesitate to use you in the future and indeed will recommend you to colleagues going forward."
Thank you to all of our clients in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA. It's a tough time for all of those on Legal Aid no matter which country you are in.

09/06/2021

Important work agreeing with our position;
"NIST scientific foundation reviews document and evaluate the scientific basis for forensic methods. These reviews fill a need identified in a landmark 2009 study by the National Academy of Sciences, which found that many forensic disciplines lack a solid foundation in scientific research.
The NIST review states that currently “there is not enough publicly available data to enable an external and independent assessment of the degree of reliability of DNA mixture interpretation practices, including the use of probabilistic genotyping software (PGS) systems.”

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published

21/05/2021

The more we learn about DNA transfer, the more we learn we know little about it!
This is fascinating;
"Profile composition was similar for samples collected from different areas of the same room, irrespective of the level of activity and from where the sample was obtained. ... Occupants were often not detected in DNA profiles collected from rooms they were known to use and could be observed in profiles collected from rooms they reportedly did not use."

When sampling an item or surface for DNA, the collection of ‘background’ DNA (bDNA) from previous use poses an issue as it may impact the detectabilit…

29/01/2021

Professor Allan Jamieson of TFI is looking forward to presenting today at the New York Legal Aid Society's 6TH ANNUAL QUESTIONING FORENSICS CONFERENCE with Prof Norman Fenton of Queen Mary's University, London on "Limitations of Probabilistic DNA Evidence in Mixed Profiles"

22/05/2020

The number of cases of coronavirus estimated from testing may not be what you think. Neither are forensic DNA statistics

Imagine a test that was always positive no matter whether the patient had the infection or not. It would be correct at least some of the time. So would a test that was always negative regardless of whether the patient was infected. How often these tests were correct would depend on how many people w...

13/05/2020

What coronavirus can tell us about DNA transfer
For some years now, we have been trying to explain to juries that the term ‘touch DNA’, as some prosecution-minded people call it, is a myth; or a misnomer; but definitely misleading. Maybe the current coronavirus pandemic ironically provides some useful information in the forensic DNA context.

For some years now, we have been trying to explain to juries that the term ‘touch DNA’, as some prosecution-minded people call it, is a myth; or a misnomer; but definitely misleading. Maybe the current coronavirus pandemic ironically provides some useful information in the forensic DNA context.

09/01/2020

DNA evidence under fire again:
“In short, the technology and science is so disputed, that there is insufficient consensus in the scientific community regarding the admissibility of these LRs.”
“The concluding lesson from the extensive testimony and complex documentary evidence presented in this case is that the specific care required for low-template, low level DNA testing has largely faded into the background as the shortcomings of the technology and need for stringent controls on its use have been glossed over in the rush to embrace the technological advancements.”

Hidden in plain sight; the problems with current DNA evidencePosted on January 8, 2020 by barrister • 0 Comments“In short, the technology and science is so disputed, that there is insufficient consensus in the scientific community regarding the admissibility of these LRs.” [1] “The concludin...

06/01/2020

The Forensic Research and Teaching (FORREST) conference is in Cambridge in June. Registration and the call for papers are now active with early bird discounts. This is an exciting event with a superb social programme and expectations of top speakers in forensic research and education. https://aru.ac.uk/science-and-engineering/conferences-and-events/forrest-conference/register
See you there.

Register for the FORREST Conference from January 2020. Registration includes conference access, delegate pack, reception and Cambridge social event.

03/12/2019

Two points;
1. As we have been saying for a LONG time, complete disclosure of scientific results on request should be the norm
2. Just because a lab is a 'State Lab' does not make it immune from bias

Malheur County Circuit Senior Judge Patricia Sullivan last week issued her ruling, concluding that the crucial DNA information could have led the jury to acquit Nicholas McGuffin in Leah Freeman’s death.

21/11/2019

No! Really? Who'd have guessed.

At the start of this decade, the federal government called out consumer DNA testing as a burgeoning scam industry. Little did we know how it would explode in popularity.