TP: Montage of Twin Towers to child soldiers to mass graves to floods to armed conflicts to accidents and missing persons #HIDS15
7:41am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
Thomas Parson: International Commission on Missing Persons. The potential of forensic genetics in resolving the fate of the missing #HIDS15
AG: Don't repeat the mistakes of the past! Ends w/Santayana quote. #HIDS15
7:40am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
AG: Success factors: challenge historic expectations; always start at the scene; be imaginative; be tenacious; get out of the 'box' #HIDS15
AG: Historic contamination - use a separate scientist working independently; thorough examination of each piece of evidence #HIDS15
AG: (On the Wikipedia page, Angele's BBC interview about this case is available. http://t.co/v06QYPZfqF) #HIDS15
AG: Jacket was scrutinized before, but microscopic stain on collar discovered, along with hair evidence, potential for contam'n #HIDS15
AG: Case of Stephen Lawrence; Wikipedia http://t.co/phB5AU5yH7 physical fiber evidence; re-examination of jacket of suspects #HIDS15
AG: Develop 'new techniques when you need to'. Yet another cold case; beware of DNA 'straightjackets'; 'sometimes truth is strange' #HIDS15
AG: Combining new DNA evidence (Y-STR) and physical evidence; consider other ramifications (where technique could now be used) #HIDS15
7:39am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
AG: Another: Rachel Nickell. Wikipedia http://t.co/lGBHmc30kG Retested, dev. new technique w/purification, low-template cycling #HIDS15
AG: Check for obvious potential contamination, don't get caught up in a blame-game w/previous investigations. #HIDS15
AG: Describes Damilola Taylor - Wikipedia http://t.co/kf3hdJqIUs Don't make assumptions of previous work; don't let DNA blind you #HIDS15
AG: Don't put into the 'too difficult' box, leave unsolved in good order. #HID15
AG: Lessons: really understand the scene; be persistent in searching; be imaginative (how clothing handled). #HID15
AG: One profile that was 'closer than the others' the 14yo wasn't even born, but matched one of his uncles #HID15
AG: Showed diagram of locations where 'patterns are terribly impt'. 2nd manual search in history of database. Rare alleles compared #HID15
7:38am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
AG: Bits of wood - revealed blood stain. Some wrappers, got DNA. No match on db - manual search ID'd a 14yo person of interest. #HIDS15
AG: Didn't know the 'full sequence of events'. Reconstructed scene, unearthed new samples, obtained full profile on/around body #HIDS15
AG: Cold case story from 1985. Wikipedia http://t.co/2Asi7TB3WO '92 false confessions & released 2y later. DNA profiling failed #HIDS15
AG: Shortcomings: continuity and integrity (things were different in the past w/techniques, procedures, chains of custody) #HIDS15
AG: Challenges of 'cold cases': finding 'things' to test, their nature & condition; what the orig test covered; shortcomings #HIDS15
Angela Gallop Axiom Int'l and Forensic Access UK: Needles in Haystacks—finding DNA traces to test in complex, historic cases #HIDS15
FD: Ended with a story about a victim not needing to testify due to strength of DNA evidence, changing an initial not-guilty plea #HIDS15
7:37am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
FD: Thinking about assessing value of forensic science, reducing cost of the investigative process #HIDS15
FD: GeneMapper and other analysis will help in mixture ID; will use LCM w/cell-specific markers. Sample collection important #HIDS15
FD: Using GlobalFiler for cold cases, launched Feb '15, entire Scotland by Oct '15. #HIDS15
FD: Acreddited to ISO17025, new processes and procedures. Aligned w/National DNA Database. External training important #HIDS15
FD: Oct '14 went live with GlobalFiler. Had to upgrade the Scottish database for GlobalFiler 24 data. Validated w/@lifetech support #HIDS15
FD: Provided confidence both to their internal partners and themselves.Timeline Feb '14 initial validation. Jun '14 submission #HIDS15
FD: Leadership, competency testing and external peer-review meant a few key areas that we 'wanted external reassurance' #HIDS15
7:36am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
FD: Third-party 'invaluable' for training and competency testing, a teach-back process to those who use it day-to-day #HIDS15
FD: Invested in new Hamilton robotics; integration w/IT ongoing. Used @lifetech's Pro. Validation Svcs. http://t.co/AAcu1PEPUy #HIDS15
FD: Needed strategic, cost considerations; decided to move to DNA 24 (GlobalFiler), and load DNA17 into Nat'l DNA db #HIDS15
FD: DNA Multiplex eval - moving from SGMplus, eval DNA17 and DNA20+ kits for repeatability, send, mixed & partial, analysis #HIDS15
FD: Outside interface is Police Scotland interaction, and UK National DNA database #HIDS15
FD: No R&D 'unfortunately at this time'. Showed flowchart of their model - scene examination, forensic services, then database #HIDS15
7:35am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
FD: Scene examination, physical sciences, biology (incl. DNA), business support. Reduced costs and better efficiency #HIDS15
FD: '13 move to new facility. Modernization took 4 different labs and combined them. Function: crime scene to court w/best practice #HIDS15
FD: 8 year changes in Scotland: '07 Police Services Authority, '10-'13 Forensic Modernization, '13 single Police authority #HIDS15
Fiona Douglas, Forensic Services (SPA), Glasgow, Scotland. Building a state of the art forensic service #HIDS15
CH: Contamination rate: cut in half to 6%. Electronic reporting. # of FTE's now is 6 for all sample handling #HIDS15
CH:FTE requirements: 12FTE to start, Jun '14: only 6. Now in Nov '14: only 2. Staff valuable for reporting unit #HIDS15
7:34am March 11th 2015 via Twitter Web Client
CH: Chart of turn-around time. Apr '14:10-12d; Jun '14:4d, Nov '14: only 2d via small adjustments in staffing, processing #HIDS15
CH: They have the capacity for 70K/yr. Remote monitored as well (for @appliedbio 7500 and AB3500 too) #HIDS15
CH: After lysis - another robot for extraction, then another for STR setup, then PCR, then robot for CE setup. 35K/year thrupt #HIDS15
CH:On-robot centrifugation, lifting the inner tube, etc. Protocol GANTT-like chart shown with overlapping protocols. #HIDS15
CH: RAT tube association to electronic file - can be racked and scanned automatically. Recapping, lysis, all automated #HIDS15
CH: Sample receipt in sealed individual barcoded envelope; electronic information automatically uploaded to their LIMS #HIDS15
CH:A field Robot Acceptable Tube (RAT), no manual handling of samples. #HIDS15
