DNA Biometrics

Summary

There is ongoing interest in utilizing DNA typing methods for biometric purposes. Forensic DNA typing using STR markers has been performed in the criminal justice system since 1998. At NIST the Human Identity Project Team has been working in support of this community with standard reference materials and the evaluation of new technologies in addition to providing training and validation resources. With the assistance of FBI funding, the DNA Biometrics Project Team is currently evaluating techniques commonly used in the forensic community for application to the field of biometrics.
 

Description

Our focus is on developing methods to decrease the time required to perform a DNA test and assisting with the evaluation of new prototype rapid DNA typing instrumentation. The use of rapid DNA testing as a biometric mode would impact the areas of immigration, airport and border security (Dept of Homeland Security), military intelligence, mass fatalities (Dept of Defense), and on site typing performed within the criminal justice system (Dept of Justice).

Major Accomplishments

2015

Details of the 2014 RDNA Maturity Assessment
Details contained in poster presentation from the 2015 ISFG Meeting

Rapid DNA Review Article
Romsos and Vallone (2015) Rapid PCR of STR Markers: Applications to Human Identification. FSI Genetics 18: 90-99.

2014

Romsos and Vallone (2014) Rapid PCR protocols for forensic DNA typing on six thermal cycling platforms. Electrophoresis 35: 3053-3061.

2012

Kevin Kiesler (2012) NIST Report to the FBI: Plex-ID Electrospray Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for Mitochondrial DNA Base Composition Profiling

 

Peter Vallone presentation at Interagency Workshop on the Use of Next-Generation DNA Sequencing for Human Identification and Characterization (Gaithersburg, MD), January 31, 2012

Kevin Kiesler presentation at Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists (Elliott City, MD), May 16, 2012, "Assessment of Plex-ID System"

Erica Butts presentation at Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists (Elliott City, MD), May 16, 2012, "Rapid DNA Testing Approaches for Reference Samples"

Peter Vallone presentation at FBI Laboratory seminar (Quantico, VA), May 24, 2012, "Forensic Applications of Next Generation Sequencing"

Kevin Kiesler presentation at FBI Laboratory seminar (Quantico, VA), May 24, 2012, "Assessment of the Plex-ID ESI-TOF Mass Spectrometer for Base Composition Profiling of the Mitochondrial DNA Control Region"
 
Erica Butts presentation at FBI Laboratory seminar (Quantico, VA), May 24, 2012, "ABI 3500 Validation Issues"

Peter Vallone presentation at FBI Laboratory seminar (Quantico, VA), May 24, 2012, "Direct PCR Amplification of STR Loci: Protocols and Performance"

Peter Vallone presentation at 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, and Analysis in the Future Meeting (Santa Fe, NM), June 5, 2012, "Forensic DNA Standards for Next Generation Sequencing Platforms"

Peter Vallone presentation at 7th Annual Sequencing, Finishing, and Analysis in the Future Meeting (Santa Fe, NM), June 8, 2012, "Forensic DNA Standards for Next Generation Sequencing Platforms"

Peter Vallone presentation at Green Mountain DNA Conference (Burlington, VT), August 3, 2012, "Development of Protocols for Rapid Amplification of STR Typing Kits: The Use of 'Non-Standard' Thermal Cyclers"

2011

Kristen Lewis O'Connor presentation at USCIS Working Group on DNA Policy (Washington, DC), January 25, 2011, "Interpretation of DNA Typing Results for Kinship Analysis"

Peter Vallone and Kristen O'Connor presentation at In-Q-Tel Technology Focus Day (Arlington, VA), February 9, 2011, "The Use of SNPs and Non-CODIS Genetic Markers: Beyond Identification"

Pete Vallone presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists (MAAFS) meeting (Virginia Beach, VA), May 26, 2011, "Direct PCR Amplification of STR Loci: Protocols and Performance"

Erica Butts presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists (MAAFS) meeting (Virginia Beach, VA), May 27, 2011, "NIST Validation Studies on the ABI 3500 Genetic Analyzer"

2010

Peter Vallone presentation to Lockheed Martin (Rockville, MD), January 28, 2010, "The Role of DNA in Kinship Testing"

Peter Vallone presentation at Advances in Forensic DNA Analysis workshop held at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences meeting (Seattle, WA), February 22, 2010, "DNA as a Potential Biometric Tool"

Peter Vallone presentation at the Biometrics & Forensics Summit (San Diego, CA), March 30, 2010, "Forensic DNA Typing"

Kristen Lewis presentation for Lockheed Martin BEACON lecture (Rockville, MD), April 14, 2010, "The Role of DNA in Kinship Analysis"

Kristen Lewis presentation for Towson University Forensic Statistics class (Towson, MD), April 26, 2010, "Statistical Methods for Kinship Analysis"

Erica Butts presentation at the Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists (MAAFS) meeting (State College, PA), May 21, 2010, "DNA Extraction Efficiency: is it what you thought?"

Pete Vallone presentation at the Australian New Zealand Forensic Science Symposium (Sydney, Australia), September 6, 2010, "Development of Protocols for Rapid Amplification of STR Typing Kits"

Kristen Lewis O'Connor presentation at the English Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics meeting (Stockholm, Sweden), September 8, 2010, "Effect of Additional Loci on Likelihood Ratio Values for Complex Kinship Analysis"

Kristen Lewis O'Connor poster at the 21st International Symposium on Human Identification (San Antonio, TX), October 12-14, 2010, "Candidate Reference Family Data: A Tool for Validating Kinship Analysis Software"

Kristen Lewis O'Connor presentation at the 21st International Symposium on Human Identification (San Antonio, TX), October 12, 2010, "Effect of Additional Loci on Likelihood Ratio Values from Complex Kinship Analysis"

Peter Vallone presentation at NSF Workshop on Fundamental Challenges for Trustworthy Biometrics (Arlington, VA), November 8, 2010, "DNA as a Biometric"

Peter Vallone presentation at George Washington University (Washington, DC), November 12, 2010, "DNA as a Biometric"