On April 27, EuraDNA, in conjunction with Gordon Thomas Honeywell, hosted the first in a series of webinars on advanced topics in forensic DNA databasing for Kazakhstan. The webinar discussed the administration and functioning of forensic DNA databases. It was attended by forensic DNA personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan.
The first talk was given by Dr. Michael Coble, who provided an introduction to the analysis of mixed DNA samples. Dr. Coble received his PhD in genetics from George Washington University. He is the acting Executive Director for the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas. Dr. Coble’s presentation covered the various considerations involved in interpreting mixed DNA samples when two or more possible contributors are involved.
The second talk was given by Adam Shariff on building and operating a criminal offender database workflow. Adam Shariff is a senior product manager at Thermo Fischer Scientific with over 20 years’ experience in forensic science covering operational management, technical development and delivery, consultancy, business development and product development. Adam Shariff discussed the process of scaling a DNA database into a full-blown national DNA database. He also went over the considerations that need to be taken into account when preparing a national DNA database, such as the amount and type of samples being processed, what technology is required based on the type of analysis preformed, the validation and accreditation requirements necessary, and a plan to spread awareness to the general public.
EuraDNA hosted its next webinar for Kazakhstan on June 1, with several more to follow throughout the summer.