Forensic Biotechnology
The DNA pipeline end to end: extraction, PCR and STR typing, mixture statistics, specialised markers, kinship and next-generation sequencing.
- 105hours
- 34topics
- 10modules
Biomolecules and the Molecular Foundations
The molecular biology a forensic biotechnologist uses every day before any kit is opened: DNA, RNA and the central dogma; the cell, nucleus and mitochondrion as DNA reservoirs; and the polymorphism classes (RFLP, VNTR, STR, SNP, mtDNA) that drive forensic identification.
Start module- DNA, RNA and the Central Dogma of Molecular BiologyThe double helix, base-pairing, and the central dogma of replication, transcription and translation decide what a PCR reaction can recover from evidence.12 min
- The Cell, the Nucleus and the Mitochondrion as DNA ReservoirsNuclear DNA carries the autosomes and sex chromosomes while mitochondrial DNA carries the maternal genome, with different implications for bone, hair and blood.10 min
- Polymorphism, Heredity and the Markers that Identify a PersonRFLP, VNTR, STR, SNP and mtDNA drove forensic ID since 1985, read through autosomal, X-linked, Y-linked and mitochondrial heredity rules.12 min
Recombinant DNA Technology and Molecular Tools
The classical biotech toolkit that underpins every forensic DNA method: restriction enzymes, vectors and molecular cloning; Sanger sequencing chemistry as the technique behind every modern method; and hybridisation, blot techniques and microarrays in forensic context.
Start module- Restriction Enzymes, Vectors, Ligation and Molecular CloningRestriction enzymes, ligation, and plasmid and BAC vectors powered classical RFLP forensics and still underpin every reagent kit on a modern bench.14 min
- Sanger Sequencing Chemistry and Modern MethodsDideoxy chain termination and capillary read-out took the human genome to draft in 2001 and still anchors mtDNA sequencing alongside Illumina and Nanopore.12 min
- Hybridisation, Southern, Northern, Western Blots and MicroarraysSouthern blot gave the original 1984 DNA fingerprint, and hybridisation-based microarrays drove HLA typing and SNP genotyping before next-generation sequencing.12 min
Sample Collection, Body Fluids and DNA Isolation
From scene to a clean extract on the bench: presumptive and confirmatory body-fluid identification, touch DNA and challenging substrates (hair, bone, teeth), the extraction stack every operational lab runs (organic, Chelex, silica-column, magnetic-bead), and the differential extraction that separates sperm from epithelial cells in sexual-assault casework.
Start module- Body-Fluid Identification: Presumptive and Confirmatory TestsKastle-Meyer and luminol screen for blood, acid phosphatase and PSA for semen, and immunochromatographic strips and mRNA profiling confirm tissue of origin.15 min
- Touch DNA, Hair, Bone, Teeth and Challenging SubstratesShed epithelial cells, rooted versus shed hair, bone decalcification and dental pulp recovery each need different handling under low-template effects.13 min
- DNA Extraction: Organic, Chelex, Silica-Column and Magnetic-BeadOrganic, Chelex, silica-column and magnetic-bead extraction are the four families every operational lab runs, trading off yield, purity and throughput.14 min
- Differential Extraction in Sexual-Assault CaseworkSelective lysis, from classical SDS/proteinase K to microfluidic and immunomagnetic methods, separates sperm-cell nuclei from epithelial cells in mixed swabs.12 min
DNA Quantification and PCR Amplification
The molecular workhorse: UV, fluorometry, slot-blot and qPCR for quantitation; PCR fundamentals (chemistry, primers, thermal cycling, contamination control); and the multiplex STR kits, inhibitor handling and low-template DNA workflows operational labs run daily.
Start module- DNA Quantification: UV, Fluorometry, Slot-Blot and qPCRUV absorbance, fluorometry, slot-blot, and human-specific qPCR kits like Quantifiler Trio report autosomal, Y and degradation indices before PCR proceeds.13 min
- PCR Fundamentals: Chemistry, Primers, Cycling and ContaminationDenaturation, annealing and extension cycles, Taq polymerase chemistry, and strict contamination controls underwrite every modern forensic DNA result.14 min
- Multiplex STR Kits, Inhibitor Handling and Low-Template DNAMultiplex kits like GlobalFiler and PowerPlex Fusion, common PCR inhibitors, and low-template workflows together pull a profile from picogram samples.13 min
STR Profiling, Mixtures and Forensic Statistics
What an operational DNA examiner spends most days doing: capillary electrophoresis and electropherogram interpretation, the global locus standards (CODIS 20, ESS17, India's NDIS proposal), the statistical frame (allele frequencies, RMP, the likelihood ratio, the prosecutor's fallacy), and mixture deconvolution with probabilistic genotyping software.
Start module- Capillary Electrophoresis and Electropherogram InterpretationCapillary electrophoresis sizes PCR products into allele calls, and examiners read stutter, pull-up and drop-out artefacts off the electropherogram.14 min
- CODIS 20, the European Standard Set and India's NDIS Locus StandardsThe 13 original CODIS loci, the 2017 CODIS 20 expansion, Europe's ESS17, and India's proposed NDIS panel let DNA profiles cross borders in INTERPOL casework.12 min
- Allele Frequencies, Random Match Probability and the Likelihood RatioAllele-frequency databases and the likelihood-ratio framework turn a DNA profile into a number a jury can weigh, avoiding the prosecutor's fallacy.15 min
- Mixture Deconvolution and Probabilistic GenotypingClassical mixture rules and probabilistic genotyping software like STRmix and TrueAllele now resolve two-to-three-person DNA mixtures in casework.14 min
Specialised DNA Markers
Where autosomal STR fails: heavily degraded skeletal remains, hair shafts, ancient samples and complex pedigrees. Mitochondrial DNA on HV1/HV2 and the rCRS reference, Y-STR and X-STR profiling for lineage casework, and SNP panels for ancestry, phenotype and identification.
Start module- Mitochondrial DNA Sequencing on HV1/HV2 and the rCRS ReferenceThe hypervariable regions HV1 and HV2, read against the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence, let mtDNA identify remains when nuclear DNA is exhausted.13 min
- Y-STR and X-STR Profiling for Lineage and Complex PedigreesY-STR panels trace paternal lineage against the YHRD database while X-STR panels resolve complex kinship like father-daughter and grandparent cases.13 min
- SNP Panels for Ancestry, Phenotype and IdentificationIdentification, ancestry-informative, and externally-visible-characteristic SNP panels like HIrisPlex-S underpin phenotyping tools such as Parabon Snapshot.14 min
Bioinformatics, Sequence Analysis and Forensic Phylogenetics
The computational layer that turns raw reads into a court-grade interpretation: sequence alignment, BLAST, GenBank, Mitomap, EMPOP; phylogenetics for species identification and lineage reconstruction; and the NGS data analysis stack (allele calling, variant callers, quality filters).
Start module- Sequence Alignment, BLAST, GenBank, Mitomap and EMPOPBLAST and multiple-sequence alignment against reference databases like GenBank, Mitomap and EMPOP let analysts confirm species and mtDNA sequence results.12 min
- Phylogenetics for Species Identification and Lineage ReconstructionNeighbour-joining, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetics, anchored to cytochrome-b and COI barcoding, made lineage trees court-admissible evidence.12 min
- NGS Data Analysis: Allele Calling, Variant Callers and Quality FiltersRead trimming, reference alignment, and forensic-specific variant callers like STRait Razor turn a sequencer's raw output into a reportable allele call.14 min
Non-human Forensics: Species, Wildlife, Microbial, Plant, Diatom
Casework that is not human ID. Species identification by cytochrome-b, COI barcoding and 16S rRNA; wildlife forensics on ivory, tiger, pangolin and rhino seizures (CITES casework); microbial forensics and biothreat attribution; plant DNA, the paloverde-seed case and the diatom test in drowning.
Start module- Species Identification by Cytochrome-b, COI Barcoding and 16S rRNACytochrome-b, the COI barcode of life, and 16S rRNA markers distinguish species, from a tiger versus leopard to one bacterial pathogen from another.12 min
- Wildlife Forensics: Ivory, Tiger, Pangolin, Rhino and CITES CaseworkElephant SNP panels, tiger and leopard mtDNA, and pangolin and rhino species ID feed CITES prosecutions through labs like TRAFFIC and India's WII.14 min
- Microbial Forensics: Anthrax Letters and Biothreat AttributionWhole-genome sequencing attributed the Bacillus anthracis Ames strain in Amerithrax, launching the National Bioforensic Analysis Center's biothreat work.13 min
- Plant DNA, the Paloverde-Seed Case and the Diatom Test in DrowningThe 1992 paloverde-seed case put plant DNA before a jury, and the diatom test remains a long-standing presumptive marker for drowning in post-mortem practice.12 min
DVI, Kinship and Emerging Markers
What happens when DNA typing meets mass casualty, missing persons and the frontier of the science: INTERPOL Disaster Victim Identification and casework (2004 tsunami, 9/11 WTC, Air India 182, Air France 447, MH17); paternity and complex kinship; MPS and forensic genetic genealogy (the DeAngelo paradigm); and emerging markers (DNA methylation age estimation, miRNA body-fluid ID, cell-free DNA, HIrisPlex-S phenotyping).
Start module- Disaster Victim Identification: INTERPOL Process and CaseworkThe INTERPOL DVI five-phase process, combining kinship and direct-match DNA, identified victims of the 2004 tsunami, 9/11, and flights MH17 and Air France 447.14 min
- Paternity, Complex Kinship and Missing-Persons CaseworkThe paternity index, kinship LR software like DNA-VIEW, and reference-sample design anchor paternity testing and missing-persons databases like NamUs.13 min
- MPS, Forensic Genetic Genealogy and the DeAngelo ParadigmMassively parallel sequencing and GEDmatch triangulation caught the Golden State Killer in 2018, prompting the DOJ's 2019 interim policy on genetic genealogy.16 min
- Emerging Markers: DNA Methylation, miRNA and HIrisPlex-S PhenotypingCpG methylation age clocks, miRNA body-fluid profiling, cell-free DNA, and HIrisPlex-S phenotyping are the next generation of markers reaching casework.15 min
Quality, Ethics, Databases and Admissibility
The framework that decides whether the science holds up in court: ISO/IEC 17025, SWGDAM, ENFSI DNA WG and NABL accreditation; national DNA databases (NDIS, NDNAD, India's DNA Technology Bill 2019, EU Prüm decisions, GEDmatch); and admissibility plus ethics across jurisdictions (Daubert, Frye, BSA 2023 § 39, R v. Doheny, familial searching, genetic privacy, ELSI).
Start module- ISO/IEC 17025, SWGDAM, ENFSI and NABL AccreditationISO/IEC 17025, SWGDAM and ENFSI guidelines, and India's NABL system set the validation and proficiency standards behind court-admissible DNA results.12 min
- National DNA Databases: NDIS, NDNAD, India's Bill and EU PrumThe US NDIS, UK NDNAD, India's pending DNA Technology Bill, and the EU Prum decisions govern how a profile becomes a database hit, and its retention limits.13 min
- Admissibility and Ethics: Daubert, Frye, R v. Doheny and ELSIThe Frye and Daubert standards, the UK's R v. Doheny framework, and India's Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam govern how courts admit DNA evidence worldwide.15 min