"Recreational genealogy" has been aggressively marketed in recent years, sometimes by commercial companies that sequence and analyze DNA for a belowcost price to participants, and then further analyze and aggregate data for license to third party researchers. We know from history that genetic information can and has been abused. This is one reason why uses of law enforcement's DNA databases has been carefully limited by the laws that created them. However, these protections are less potent than they were only a few years ago; Public and private genealogy databases are not controlled by the same legislation, policies and case law. Recent developments in use of STR analysis and DNA sequencing methods for human identification in both humanitarian efforts following mass fatalities, human trafficking and for identification of perpetrators of violent crime will be reviewed. Combining DNA results with genealogical data has led to identification of suspects in scores of criminal investigations in the past 18 months. This new field of genealogics demonstrates the power of these new methods and at the same time raises both policy and privacy questions which will be addressed.
Rapid DNA: From Research to Field
Amanda Sozer, PhD, SNA International, Washington, DC, USA
Basics of Genetic Genealogy and Its Impact on Forensic Investigation
Howard Cash, Gene Codes Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Objectives:
- Understand the role of STR analysis and DNA sequencing for humanitarian identification efforts, mass fatalities and forensic investigations.
- Understand how to evaluate some of the main scientific, legal, and policy implications of using DNA sequencing in forensic medicine.
- Understand the application of DNA technology to forensics and the identification of suspects involved in crimes.
Duration: 1.50 hr
Recording Date: November 7, 2019
CME/CMLE credit: 1.50 hr
Last day to purchase course and CE claim credit: December 24, 2022
