Innovation in the Burg: Forensic Science or Fauxrensic Science?

Key Insights

• This week's expert is Rob O’Brien, Forensic Biology Section Lead at the National Forensic Science Technology Center. He's joined by Chris Vivian, Director of Communications NFSTC.
• Today's community member is Cesar Morales. He is a senior program manager of CyberOps Laboratory at SRI International, a Naval Academy grad, and a true St. Petersburger.
• National Forensic Science Technology Center has been located in Largo since 1995. It is now part of Florida International University, doing training and technology evaluation and professional education for forensic scientists, lab technicians, law enforcement, and more.
• NFSTC clients include crime scene investigators, law enforcement, crime laboratories, DNA analysts, and chemists. They truly run the gamut from front end to back end on forensic science.
• O'Brien leads all of the forensic DNA training, technology evaluations for new technologies, including new instrumentation or improvements on existing devices.
• SRI International is a nonprofit research and development firm based in Silicon Valley. It is one of the oldest institutions in Silicon Valley. SRI has either invented or enhanced many of the items you touch every day, including computer mouses and Siri.
• St. Pete mostly focuses on maritime technology and data. They get the "right information to the right people at the right time," using tools like machine learning & AI
• O'Brien says one of the most important areas of innovation is no longer in the back-end DNA analysis, but in the collection. Many companies are in the process of creating a better swab for DNA collection that is more sensitive and releases all of the cells collected.
• Why does DNA testing take so long? O'Brien says it's a complicated process. First you must get the cells, break them open and get the DNA out, then clean out all of the other material besides the DNA. Then target the areas to look at, copy them, separate them by size and visualize them.
• The quickest DNA testing right now takes 2 hours. Though most lab settings take a lot longer.
• The DNA analysis in the field is much less advanced that it appears in TV shows. Most of the testing they do in the field or at a crime scene is called presumptive testing, which means they can tell you what a substance is, i.e. blood. But they cannot tell you who it is from.
• Conclusions based on DNA are not quite what you see on TV. DNA analysts must testify in court, so they know which things will hold up. They don't operate quite like TV shows, and definitely don't confront a suspect after testing the DNA.