Data as solution       

For media information contact:

Flora Kan

Phone: 240-631-7933

Release Date: October 31, 2005

Two Steps to Conquer Your Fear of Contamination

Data Unlimited International, Inc., Maryland, USA - October 31, 2005 - PCR-based testing is the recognized standard for forensic detection of small quantities of DNA.  The inherent sensitivity has a price, the ability to amplify contamination to a billion times the original concentration, confounding interpretation.

"...Also we need to determine if one of our employees is the cause of any contamination in the samples. So the first step is that a staff database needs to be in place and the second step is to search against any profiles obtained..." said Candy Zuleger, President and Laboratory Director of Trinity DNA Solutions, LLC, whose Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) include improvements in procedures to reduce contamination, from training the lab scientists on sterile procedures to tracking any incidents.The continuing challenge is to identify contamination and report it. Ms. Zuleger uses Starfruit IdentiTrack^® Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) to alert her lab to the most common contamination: the cross-contamination by microscopic traces of unrelated evidence and the self-contamination of forensic scientists' accidentally mixing their own DNA with the sample being tested. Starfruit IdentiTrack^® LIMS compares a laboratory scientist’s DNA profile with and among all samples. When Starfruit detects either self-contamination or cross-contamination, Starfruit tracks and documents the contamination source with identification.

Acknowledgement 
Candy Zuleger, President and Laboratory Director, Trinity DNA Solutions, LLC

References

Revised Validation Guidelines by Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM)
Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Labs by USA FBI CODIS group

Sign up to gain access to our Member Area.

###

-30-

Copyright ©2005 Data Unlimited International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This web page was updated on Octber 31, 2005.

Sign up to gain access to our Member Area.