Innovative breakthrough in DNA technology showcased at Forensics Europe Expo

April 22, 2013 - PRLog -- Cybergenetics has built up an impressive expertise working on over a hundred criminal cases and analysing evidence in major world events such as the World Trade Center attacks. Its innovative TrueAllele technology can interpret even the most complex DNA that can be currently overlooked.

Cybergenetics leading scientist Dr Mark Perlin is showcasing the technology at the Forensics Expo Europe in London Olympia on 24 and 25. In the run-up to the exhibition, Dr Perlin will meet with senior investigators and law enforcement officials at a workshop in Leicestershire to provide practical advice about how they can maximise the potential of DNA in an investigation using the TrueAllele technology.

“The past decade has seen DNA play a prominent role in helping solve criminal cases and investigators now place high expectation on scientists to interpret the samples to be used as key evidence. Corroborative DNA may prove vital in persuading a jury,” explained Dr Perlin.

“But this investigative dream has become a crime laboratory's nightmare. Low-level touch DNA mixtures stream in through the door, along with investigator expectations of fast, informative results. People and robots churn through challenging evidence, cranking out complex EPG signals that defy human interpretation. Key DNA is often deemed "inconclusive", and many comparisons must be made to find a probative match.”

The TrueAllele technology takes a more detailed and sophisticated look at the samples and can produce more detailed and meaningful results than is currently available.

In a recent criminal case in the US, a gang was suspected of committing a series of convenience store robberies. As the violence escalated, resolving these crimes became increasingly important. Touch evidence items were collected from five shops, yielding a dozen DNA mixtures. The STR peak heights were low and the mixture complexity was high (most items having three or four contributors). Comparisons were needed with ten reference genotypes, half suspect and half victim.

TrueAllele® computer interpretation of the touch DNA was able to separate evidence data into probabilistic genotypes. Eight of the twelve mixture items matched a reference, with DNA statistics ranging from thousands to quintillions. Three suspects were identified, including the likely gang leader. Whereas human assessment of the 120 potential DNA matches was not feasible, the computer could rapidly pinpoint the nine probative matches.  Dr Perlin’s testimony on the TrueAllele results helped secure a conviction.

You can visit Cybergenetics at stand 1-A45 or for more information go to www.cybgen.com