Rapid DNA Act of 2017: What is It?
On May 16, 2017, the U.S House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed the Rapid DNA Act of 2017 (H.R.510 and S.139, respectively). The bill was sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) and enjoyed bipartisan support, ending up with seven Republican and five Democratic cosponsors in the Senate, and […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! State Forensics Panel Approves Use of Family DNA to Solve Crimes After Slain […]
NIST Upgrades Widely Used Database of Molecular ‘Fingerprints’
When scientists need to identify an unknown compound, they do what a police detective might do. They get fingerprints—in this case, the “molecular fingerprints” of the unknown compound—and run them through a database of fingerprints from known suspects to look for a match. One of the world’s largest and most widely used databases of molecular […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! DNA Discovery Reveals Genetic History of Ancient Egyptians (CNN – 6/23/2017) Ancient Egyptians and […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! The Unclaimed Dead (The Intercept – 7/1/2017) In Texas, the Bodies of Migrants Who […]
Will DNA Provide an Answer about Bigfoot’s Existence?
Editor’s Note: Though known by different names, versions of the legends of a half man/half ape creature have existed for many centuries in almost every corner of the globe (with the exception of Antarctica). Whether you know him as Yeti, Sasquatch, or by another name, chances are you’ve heard of him. Those in the northwest […]
Neanderthal Genes in Modern Humans
Professor Ed Green discusses sequencing of the Neanderthal genome and signs that early humans interbreed with Neanderthals. TRANSCRIPT: My name is Ed Green and I am an Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz. My research program is around genome sciences. We study all kinds of […]
This Week in Forensic Science
No one has hours to scour the papers to keep up with the latest news, so we’ve curated the top news stories in the field of Forensic Science for this week. Here’s what you need to know to get out the door! In a Lost Baby Tooth, Scientists Find Ancient Denisovan DNA (The New York Times – […]
DNA Evidence from Lip Prints and Used Cups: Interesting Cases from the International Symposium on Human Identification. Part I
Every year, hundreds of forensic analysts attend the International Symposium on Human Identification to learn about new advances in the field of DNA typing. The talks and posters are informative, and it is a great opportunity to network with DNA analysts from around the world. As the editor of Profiles in DNA, I am fortunate to attend the […]
