The iris of the beholder

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104101628.htm

Recent scientific innovation have shown that the eyes reveal a persons true identidy. A new report by computer scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) demonstrates that iris recognition algorithms can maintain their accuracy and interoperability with compact images, affirming their potential for large-scale identity management applications such as the federal Personal Identity Verification program, cyber security and counterterrorism. The iris indetification is quickly becoming the new method of IDing people and will most likely take over the fingerprint ID system as it is easier to fake finger prints than Iris ID.

Becoming a Forensic Pathologists' Assistant

This article is related to the field of Forensic Pathology. More specifically, it pertains to becoming a pathologist’s assistant. This may not seem like the riveting job that someone of high potential may be seeking; however, it is surprisingly a very beneficial job economically. A forensic pathologist's assistant aids the medical examiner in obtaining and processing specimens during an autopsy and works in a team under the direct supervision of a forensic pathologist. Many pathologists' assistants have bachelor's or master's degrees though many were also trained on-the-job as laboratory personnel. Forensic Pathologists' assistants aid in autopsies by collecting the medical history of the deceased. They also work with the medical examiner to determine how best to perform the autopsy. Duties may include photographing the body as well as individual organs as the autopsy proceeds. Often, pathology assistants prepare sections of each organ for further testing and processing. They may even take xrays of bodies to determine any current or old injuries. They can also help to collect physical evidence such as fingernail scrapings from the decedent in the case of a suspicious death. Expected salaries in the United States average from $60,000 to $90,000 annually, depending on the area. Demand is anticipated to increase as forensic technology improves.
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Cold Case Is Closed by DNA Match: Green River Killer

During the 1980 and 1990s there was a killer in the Seattle-Tacoma area that was stalking young women, mainly prostitutes. During this time, women were disappearing sometimes every other day, once a month or even one or two a year. The person that was committing these crimes was the “Green River Killer”. The modus operandi of the killer was to rape the victims and strangle them. Gary Ridgway was one of the top suspects for these crimes. The problem was that during this time DNA testing was in its infancy and much was unknown, this and the fact that police did not have a lot of hard evidence on Mr. Ridgway, caused the police to not arrest him.
In 2001 this all changed, scientist brought together the old evidence and used two distinctive tests to reexamine the evidence. The polymerase chain reaction test and the short tandem repeat test, these tests together allowed scientists to replicate enough DNA so that they could find out whose DNA it is. “It was a last-ditch effort,” Dr. Himick, a scientist that worked on the reexamination of the case, said. “We didn’t have a lot to work with, but we went through a lot of evidence again. We rinsed all the fingernails to look for trace evidence and swabbed the ligatures for cellular material. With one girl, we were able to find a few sperm clinging to her pubic hairs.”
Scientists took the DNA samples that they had and analyzed them. They received a sample of Mr. Ridgway’s DNA from a piece of gauze that he had chewed on in 1987. After analysis of the DNA, they saw that there were matches in the DNA to the three victims that they had DNA profiles for. When Gary Ridgway was confronted with the evidence he pleaded guilty and received 48 consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/science/12file-dna.html

Microsoft's Photosynth: A Future Forensic Tool?

http://www.forensicmag.com/newsletters/features/20091111/

This article describes a new technology and how it can potentially be used in forensic science. This technology, called Photosynth and made by Microsoft, is a way to organize photos of a particular object so that they are spatially oriented with respect to one another. This means that you can make a 3D image of something by using the 2D photos that were taken. While it was originally intended as a creative way to present photos, it can have an impact on forensics. First responders, forensic technicians, and investigators can put together a photographic image of the crime scene much easier, and without the need for expensive equipment or complicated software. Also, this technology could be used to get shoeprints without having to take molds. After several pictures are taken and put into the system, a 3D image is made. If this image is reversed, than they have a perfect shoeprint. However, this technology is far from becoming a forensic tool. This is because there is no indicator or accuracy. Also, it has to be put through a a lot of testing and validation before it can ever by used.

DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show

In Israel, scientists have proven that it is now possible to fabricate DNA evidence. They have fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. As well as that, they have demonstrated that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they can construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without needing any tissue from that person. Dr. Frumkin, founder of Nucleix, developed a test to distinguish real DNA samples from fake ones that he hopes to sell to forensics laboratories.
The scientists fabricated DNA samples in two ways. One requires a tiny DNA sample, such as a strand of hair or a drinking cup. They then amplify the sample into a large quantity of DNA using a standard technique called whole genome amplification. One woman had a blood sample taken, which was then centrifuged to remove the white cells, which contain DNA. To the remaining red cells, they added DNA that had been amplified from a man’s hair. Since red cells do not contain DNA, all the genetic material in the blood sample belonged to the man. The other technique relies on DNA profiles, a series of numbers and letters corresponding to variations at 13 spots in a person’s genome. From a pooled sample of many people’s DNA, the scientists cloned tiny DNA samples representing the common variants at each spot. To prepare a DNA sample matching any profile, the scientists mixed the proper samples together.
This test proves if a sample has been fabricated because it relies on the fact that amplified DNA lacks certain molecules that are attached to the DNA at specific points, usually to inactivate genes. Dr. Frumkin’s design has proven to be very helpful and will be of great assistance for forensics scientists.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18dna.html