Analytical Solutions
DNA solutions
DNA profiling and testing are one of the most significant advances in the history of forensic science. FSS leads the world in pioneering the concept of a national DNA database and the development of increasingly sensitive and rapid recording and matching systems.
The use of DNA matching as an evidential tool has supported many successful prosecutions and has proved of particular value in enabling police to gain important new leads in unsolved “cold” cases.
DNA exists in all living human cells and is unique to each individual in its make-up. This means that samples taken from a crime scene or an individual containing DNA can be of great value in identifying a perpetrator, or ruling suspects out of an investigation. Its importance is reflected in the fact that about 70 per cent of all FSS’ work involves some degree of DNA testing.
FSS has been at the forefront of developing DNA testing since 1987. In 1995 it achieved a scientific breakthrough, inventing the chemical that enables DNA profiling. This led directly to the establishment of the world’s first DNA database.
- Highly specialised work extracting DNA from old or decomposed material or human remains. Using low copy number techniques we can gain a profile from samples that are invisible to the naked eye. It is handled by the FSS laboratory at Wetherby, and is meticulous and time-consuming work.
- Crime scene sample analysis: bodily fluids found at the scenes of volume crimes, such as burglaries or in stolen cars, are analysed for DNA at the FSS’s Huntingdon laboratory and the data extracted is loaded on to the national database. The work is highly automated, enabling quick and efficient handling of large volumes of samples.
- Personal sample analysis: DNA samples are routinely obtained from crime suspects and people who have been arrested. These are analysed and added to the national database by FSS, again using a rapid, automated system, at its Trident Court laboratory in Birmingham.
- Casework: samples taken from the scene of a crime, or from a victim, are compared against the DNA profile of a suspect to see if a match can be made. This work is undertaken at the London laboratory and includes DNA newly retrieved from “closed cases” – unsolved crimes where previously profiling was not available, or the sample size was too small to be of help.
The FSS is the largest provider of samples from people and crime scenes for the national database and has an unmatched capacity for rapid processing of large volumes: it handles between 40,000 and 50,000 mouth swabs a month.
Its world-leading innovation goes beyond the basic principles of profiling to the design of systems, robotics and software for the entire analytical and interpretative process. It invests large sums in research and development and is currently working towards the introduction of a mobile testing system. This will enable profiling to take place at the scene of a crime or in a custody suite, avoiding any delay caused by samples having to be sent for laboratory analysis.
The FSS already offers a premium service where customers can obtain rapid DNA testing within 24 hours. Its profiling is faster than any other in the world: matches from mouth swabs or blood can be obtained in less than 10 hours, helping to track down suspects more quickly.
The FSS has the broadest and most comprehensive range of DNA services in the country and is respected for setting global standards in its field. Its knowledge and experience are sought by international clients and it plays an important role in assisting other countries and organisations to develop their own DNA profiling capabilities and databases, helping design and equip laboratories and providing consultancy and training services.