Forensic DNA Analysis

Forensic DNA analysis is used to identify individuals using genetic samples. Basically, the system uses a set of identifying numbers to match two different samples. The concept was first designed by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester in 1985. Today, it is a standard practice in conducting investigations for crimes such as murder and rape.

Some Examples of DNA Uses for Forensic Identification

Identify potential suspects whose DNA may match evidence left at crime scenes
Exonerate persons wrongly accused of crimes
Identify crime and catastrophe victims
Establish paternity and other family relationships
Identify endangered and protected species as an aid to wildlife officials (could be used for prosecuting poachers)
Detect bacteria and other organisms that may pollute air, water, soil, and food
Match organ donors with recipients in transplant programs
Determine pedigree for seed or livestock breeds
Authenticate consumables such as caviar and wine

History of Forensic DNA Analysis
DNA typing, since it was introduced in the mid-1980s, has revolutionized forensic science and the ability of law enforcement to match perpetrators with crime scenes. Thousands of cases have been closed and innocent suspects freed with guilty ones punished because of the power of a silent biological witness at the crime scene.

'DNA fingerprinting' or DNA typing (profiling) as it is now known, was first described in 1985 by an English geneticist named Alec Jeffreys. Dr. Jeffreys found that certain regions of DNA contained DNA sequences that were repeated over and over again next to each other. He also discovered that the number of repeated sections present in a sample could differ from individual to individual. By developing a technique to examine the length variation of these DNA repeat sequences, Dr. Jeffreys created the ability to perform human identity tests.

How DNA Profiling Helps to Solve Crimes
DNA profiling or fingerprinting was developed in 1984 by British geneticist Sir Alec Jeffreys and first used in forensic science to convict Colin Pitchfork in the 1988 Enderby murders case.

A DNA fingerprint is the same for every cell, tissue and organ of a person. This DNA fingerprint cannot be altered by any known treatment.

It makes sense that DNA evidence has become such a powerful crime solving tool because no person's DNA fingerprint is the same except for identical twins. This means that DNA collected from a crime scene can either link a suspect to the evidence or eliminate them which is why accurate DNA fingerprinting is critical as a crime solving tool.



Collecting DNA Evidence at a Crime Scene
DNA evidence can be collected from virtually anywhere at a crime scene. DNA has helped solve many cases when imaginative investigators collected evidence from non-traditional sources:

A masked rapist was convicted of forced oral copulation when his victim's DNA fingerprint matched DNA evidence swabbed from him.
Many cases have been solved by DNA analysis of saliva on cigarette butts, postage stamps, rims of cups and glasses.
DNA analysis of a single hair found deep in the victim's throat provided a critical piece of evidence to solve the crime and apprehened the criminal.

DNA Forensics Databases

National DNA Databank: CODIS

The COmbined DNA Index System, CODIS, blends computer and DNA technologies into a tool for fighting violent crime. The current version of CODIS uses two indexes to generate investigative leads in crimes where biological evidence is recovered from the crime scene. The Convicted Offender Index contains DNA profiles of individuals convicted of felony sex offenses (and other violent crimes). The Forensic Index contains DNA profiles developed from crime scene evidence. All DNA profiles stored in CODIS are generated using STR (short tandem repeat) analysis.

Some Interesting Uses of DNA Forensic Identification

Identifying September 11th Victims
Identifying the victims of the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attack presented a unique forensic challenge because the number and identity of the victims were unknown and many victims were represented only by bone and tissue fragments. At the time of the attack, no systems were in place for rapidly identifying victims in disasters with more than 500 fatalities. The National Institutes of Justice assembled a panel of experts from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions to develop processes to identify victims using DNA collected at the site. Panel members produced forms and kits needed to enable the medical examiner’s office to collect reference DNA from victims’ previously stored medical specimens. These specimens were collected and entered into a database. The medical examiner's office also received about 20,000 pieces of human remains from the World Trade Center site, and a database of the victims’ DNA profiles was created.

To avoid contamination of evidence that may contain DNA, always take the
following precautions:
Wear gloves. Change them often.
Use disposable instruments or clean
them thoroughly before and after handling
each sample.
Avoid touching the area where you believe
DNA may exist.
Avoid talking, sneezing, and coughing
over evidence.
Avoid touching your face, nose, and mouth
when collecting and packaging evidence.
Air-dry evidence thoroughly before
packaging.
Put evidence into new paper bags or
envelopes, not into plastic bags. Do not
use staples.

Forensic Anthropology, India

What is Forensic Anthropology?
Forensic anthropology is the application of the science of physical anthropology and human osteology (the study of the human skeleton) in a legal setting, most often in criminal cases where the victim's remains are in the advanced stages of decomposition

Forensic Anthropology is Used:
Forensic anthropology is normally used when evidentiary remains are found that indicate a crime did or may have occurred. Sometimes, when old buildings are torn down or when old sections of a town are converted for whatever purpose remains will be found among the ruins. Forensic anthropologists are brought in to thoroughly investigate the scene. With the use of forensic anthropology, they can often determine whether or not a crime was committed, and if there was in fact a crime, forensic anthropology can then be used to solve it. While much of what is commonly seen on television is as much fantasy as it is reality, many aspects of forensic anthropology are growing exponentially.


Course Requirements:
A Science background at the +2 level is preferred for a B.Sc. programme in Anthropology. One must have a M.Sc. degree in order to get an entry level job in the field.Almost all established universities in India offer B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Anthropology. These include the Universities of Delhi, Allahabad, Garhwal, Kolkata, Vishwabharti, Vidyasagar, Utkal, Sambalpur, Manipur, Dibrugarh, etc.

Nature of Work:
Basically, Anthropologists are academics who are usually employed by universities to research in their areas of specialisation. Most of the work involves writing, editing, fieldwork, teaching, consulting other professionals and presenting papers. To become an expert on a particular region or culture, you have to spend years of hardwork in study in often remote locations.

List of Institutions offering B.A/B.Sc./M.A./M.Sc in Anthropology in India
Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam - 530 003
Bangalore University, Bangalore - 560 056
Berhampur University, Bhanja Bihar, Berhampur, Distt, Ganjam, Orissa - 760 007
Dibrugharh University, Dibrugarh, Assam
Dr.Hari Singh Gour Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gour Nagar, Sagar, MP
Guwahati University, PO, Gopinath Bordili Nagar, Guwahati, Assam
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh
Karnataka University, Pavate Nagar, Dharwad, Karnataka
Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana
Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal, Manipur
Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar - 522 510
North Eastern Hill University, Shillong - 793 002
North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon - 425 002
Pt.Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur-492 010
Pune University, Pune - 411 007
Punjab University, Paliala - 147 002
Punjab University, Sector 14, Chandigarh, Punjab
Ranchi University, Ranchi, Ranchi - 834 001
Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Orissa
Siddhu Kanhu University, Dumka - 814 101
Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupati, Chittor District, AP
University of Allahabad, Allahabad - 211 002
University of Calcutta, Senate House, 87, College Street, Calcutta, West Bengal
University of Delhi, Delhi - 110 007
University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad - 500 046
University of Mumbai, Mumbai - 400 001
University of Mysore, Mysore - 570 005
University of Rajasthan, Jaipur - 302 004
Utkal University, PO Vani Vihar, Bhubaneshwar Orissa-4
Vidya Sagar University, PO Midnapore, West Bengal
Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh - 825 301
Visva-Bharati, PO Santiniketan-731 235

Salary: The basic Salary of Forensic Anthropology starts at about Rs6000pm.

Forensic Pharmacy - India

What is Forensic Pharmacy?Forensic pharmacy overlaps with the criminal justice system and other branches of forensics. Forensic pharmacists play an integral role in legal cases relating to malpractice, drunk and drugged driving and adverse side effects of certain drugs.

Job Description
Forensic pharmacists apply medication sciences to legal issues, meaning the nature of their work entails anything from litigation to the criminal justice system. They make be asked to testify in court, consult with lawyers or law enforcement officials and engage in any other type of work that bridges medication and the legal system

Education
Prospective forensic pharmacists must obtain a degree in pharmacy, either a master of science degree or a doctoral-level degree called a PharmD. The coursework relevant to a pharmacy degree program typically includes basic nutrition, general chemistry, infectious disease, calculus/mathematics for the life sciences, microbiology, organic chemistry and survey of pathology, to name a few. While pursuing this degree, a student can elect to concentrate in forensic pharmacy.

Free Downloads of Forensic Pharmacy Books:
http://freedownloadbooks.net/forensic-pharmacy-by-mithal-pdf.html


Courses Offered in India:

Banaras Hindu University-BHU
http://bhu.ac.in/

At Bits Pilani
http://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/courses/coursedescriptions/body_pha.html

The Tamilnadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University
http://www.tnmmu.ac.in/

Interesting Facts about Forensic Entomology

Flies taste, smell, and feel with the hairs that cover their bodies. The hairs on the fly’s mouthparts and feet are used for tasting. Flies taste what they walk on.


When writing the name of true flies, which are in the order Diptera, use the word ‘fly’ in a separate word; blow fly. When writing the name of other insects with the word ‘fly’ in their name, write one word; firefly.

Flies use other hairs to tell them when they touch something. These hairs bend when touched.

The eyes of a fly do not have eyelids, so flies rub their eyes with their feet to keep them clean.

A fly cleans itself constantly.

There are 120,000 species of flies.

After studying 300,000 flies, researchers concluded that an average fly carries 2 million bacteria on its body.

The dehydrated larvae of the Polypedilum vanderplanki (a type of fly) were able to withstand exposure to liquid helium (-270 degrees Celsius) for up to five minutes with a one hundred percent survival rate.

Polypedilum vanderplanki breed in small pools on unshaded rocks in northern Nigeria and Uganda where they withstand an environment, which is alternately dry and
flooded. Polypedilum vanderplanki is the only insect definitely known to survive drying to <3% moisture.

A fly beats its wings 200 times a second, three times faster than a hummingbird.

According to researchers, the favourite colour of flies is red, followed by orange, black, violet, green, blue, white and yellow.

Fly eggs hatch into maggots within 24 hours.

The dung beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung and then buries it. They can quickly and effectively dispose of piles of animal faeces before the flies have a chance to start breeding in it.

Several species of dung beetle have been introduced into Australia and they are proving to be very effective at controlling the fly problem.

Growing role of Forensic Science

The first recorded evidence of the use of forensic science is contained in a book produced in Song dynasty China in 1248.

Hsi Duan Yu (Washing Away of Wrongs) details how an investigator established that a particular sickle was used to kill a murder victim by testing different blades on animal carcasses and comparing the wounds.

In more recent times forensic science has become a greatly specialised field, with many disciplines involved besides genetics, including:

Classification of Forensic Science: (Widely Used)

Anthropology: Forensic anthropologists, often working with pathologists, as seen on TV shows such as CSI and Silent Witness, study badly decomposed remains to work out age, sex, height and ancestry, as well as investigating signs of trauma or disease.



Entomology: The study of insects, which helps establish issues such as time and place of death, using information such as the gestation period of species which lay eggs on dead bodies.



Palynology: Detailed knowledge of pollen types and distribution can help establish time and location of death, and whether a body has been moved.



Toxicology: A variety of techniques are used to detect the presence in a body of any of a wide range of poisons, chemicals and drugs.

Fourteen Characteristics of a Serial Killer

Could you be raising a criminal? Acts of violence don't come out of nowhere, and every parent should be aware of the clues along the way. For the most violent of criminals, there are warning signs that often start in childhood. Below is a list of the 14 most common traits of serial killers.

1. Over 90 percent of serial killers are male.
2. They tend to be intelligent, with IQ's in the "bright normal" range.
3. They do poorly in school, have trouble holding down jobs, and often work as unskilled laborers.
4. They tend to come from markedly unstable families.
5. As children, they are abandoned by their fathers and raised by domineering mothers.
6. Their families often have criminal, psychiatric and alcoholic histories.
7. They hate their fathers and mothers.
8. They are commonly abused as children — psychologically, physically and sexually. Often the abuse is by a family member.
9. Many serial killers spend time in institutions as children and have records of early psychiatric problems.
10. They have high rates of suicide attempts.
11. From an early age, many are intensely interested in voyeurism, fetishism, and sado-masochistic pornography.
12. More than 60 percent of serial killers wet their beds beyond the age of 12.
13. Many serial killers are fascinated with fire starting.
14. They are involved with sadistic activity or tormenting small creatures.
Source: Internal Association of Forensic Science, an article written by FBI Special Agent Robert K. Ressler
"The Serial Killer," Harold Schechter

C.S.I.: High school

John Odgren, currently on trial for allegedly murdering a fellow student at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, was known for his fascination with violence. He fashioned himself as “Jack,” a character from his favorite Stephen King novel. Odgren loved to play violent video games and had a keen interest in knives.

Odgren’s fascination went further than just a hobby. His obsession with all things violent was so intense that he attended a forensic-themed summer program and took a high school course in forensics, both in the months just prior to the homicide with which he is charged. Not only did the class satisfy part of his academic requirements, but it surely satisfied his passion for the dark side of the human condition. This is not to suggest that the young defendant was inspired to take his lessons much too far--only that C.S.I.-type instruction may have reinforced his existing fascination with violence.



John Odgren in 2007 (File Photo)
Lincoln-Sudbury High is but one of the countless schools around the country that have adopted academic curricula focused on the interplay between science and the law. In recent years, high schools and even middle schools have exploited their students’ morbid fascination as a strategy for spoon feeding them science--to make chemistry, biology and other fields more palatable.


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