NCJ Number
218317
Journal
Forensic Magazine Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: April-May 2007 Pages: 26-28
Date Published
April 2007
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the history of forensic DNA laboratories from 1988 to the present and identifies the challenges they face for their future.
Abstract
In 1988, the technical Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (TWGDAM) was established at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It published the quality assurance guidelines for DNA testing. As DNA technology matured, the group was renamed the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). In order to improve the scientific standards of each of the forensic disciplines, new groups were established to address specific quality assurance needs and establish guidelines for best practices. In 1995, the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) was created by congressional mandate under the DNA Identification Act of 1994. It is a separate and distinct advisory board administered by the FBI. Its initial goals were to establish quality standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories and convicted offender DNA databasing laboratories, as well as make recommendations regarding the feasibility of blind proficiency testing. The DAB's Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories were approved by the Director of the FBI in July 1998, taking effect in October 1998. Strict adherence to these quality assurance standards requires a forensic laboratory's commitment of time, resources, and personnel. At the same time, laboratories have been challenged to process more DNA samples while facing personnel shortages in the competitive biotechnology field. Increased funding can help laboratories address these challenges, but in order to make the best use of increased funding, laboratories must consider their specific needs, and managers must take advantage of technology improvements that consolidate and streamline their workflow. Exciting developments are on the horizon that will increase sample throughput at a lower cost while requiring less personnel. 6 references