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Tutorial 1: DNA Forensics

Title: Beyond CSI:  The science and non-science of forensic DNA analysis and interpretation

Presenter: Mike Raymer, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Wright State University

Abstract: One of the most visible uses of bioinformatics data is the analysis of forensic DNA testing results in criminal investigations.  The late 1990s saw the advent of STR (short tandem repeat) DNA testing, the first method to combine the discriminatory power and sensitivity of several earlier methods into a single, automated, standardized test.  STR tests are phenomenally sensitive – results can be obtained from as little material as a single cell (fingerprints typically contain hundreds of shed skin cells).  Additionally, STR tests can provide profoundly compelling biometric evidence, as the chances of coincidental STR matches between unrelated individuals are often as small as 1 in quadrillions.  In 1997, the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified 13 STR regions that it deemed appropriate for forensic testing purposes.  While the science of forensic DNA analysis is sound, there are many aspects of the analysis and interpretation of the evidence that are not necessarily scientific.  In particular, when a forensic sample contains a mixture of DNA from several sources, the analysis and interpretation is particularly complex. This presentation will consist of (1) an overview of the science of forensic DNA analysis, (2) a description of some of the difficulties that can occur in DNA typing – both in the analysis and in the interpretation of the results, and (3) examples of how the difficulty can be compounded when mixtures of DNA from several sources are analyzed.  The use of computational, statistical, and combinatorial techniques to reduce the error and to provide an objective basis for interpretation of DNA evidence will be discussed.

Biographical Sketches of Presenter:
Michael L. Raymer graduated in 1991 from Colorado State University with a B.S. degree in Computer Science.  He obtained an M.S. degree in Computer Science from Michigan State University in 1995, and a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from Michigan State University in 2000. While at Michigan State, his research crossed the boundaries between computer science and biochemistry.  He worked in the Protein Structural Analysis and Design Laboratory, directed by Dr. Leslie Kuhn, and also in the Genetic Algorithms Research and Applications laboratory, directed by Dr. Bill Punch and Dr. Erik Goodman.  His work in both labs was directed at developing algorithms to analyze and predict interactions between proteins and water molecules.  He is currently an associate professor of computer science and engineering at Wright State University, a member of the faculty of the Biomedical Sciences program, and co-founder and Senior Systems Engineer for Forensic Bioinformatic Services (FBS).  At FBS, Dr. Raymer co-directs an active research program investigating statistical, biological, and technical issues related to the analysis and interpretation of forensic DNA evidence. Dr. Raymer is also the principal coordinator of the undergraduate program in bioinformatics at Wright State University, one of the first such programs in the nation to be funded by the National Science Foundation. He is co-author of the textbook “Fundamental Concepts of Bioinformatics”, the first undergraduate textbook in bioinformatics, available from Benjamin Cummings publishers.

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