Capillary Electrophoresis for Forensic STR Analysis: Validation and Cost Effectiveness

The report summarizes the progress made in implementing the goals of the grant since the previous report. A section on the preparation of laboratory space notes the completion of the ventilation system and the installation of the bench work. It has taken longer than expected to implement the sex typing system amelogenin for casework; implementation should be completed by the end of November 1997. The report's section on comparable technologies and parallel testing advises that CE should be able to report alleles in the same manner as those methods that use gel-based systems. This comparative analysis will be instrumental in getting CE past the Frye or Daubert standard for admissibility. This work, in addition to the other validation studies currently underway, will show that CE analysis is an appropriate analytical tool for forensic DNA analysis. The section on technique limitations notes that CE is a recent development, so the study of the limitations of the technique has only begun. The section on validation testing advises that some data on the validation of the AmpFISTR Blue and Green I system have been collected, and the validation of the amelogenin system is almost complete. A report on labor savings advises that this issue may be more difficult to determine than initially expected. A report on the dissemination of study findings is also included, along with the following attachments: a draft of the amelogenin manuscript, abstracts of presentations, and a resolution table.