Course: The Science Behind Forensic Science

When reporting scientific evidence in a forensic context, maintaining the chain of custody (CoC) is essential. The CoC is crucial in proving that the evidence under consideration is linked beyond …

Welcome Last week you gained an in-depth understanding of how forensics uses DNA. Welcome to Week 3, in which you’ll find out more about the forensics lab and the importance …

Wrap-up This week has been a great opportunity to learn about the techniques forensic scientists use to examine evidence – ranging from the humble microscope to the most recent DNA …

Sample DJT/1 was a swab taken from the blood drops found near the crime scene, potentially belonging to a person of interest in this case – if a plausible scenario …

Back at the police station you present the results of the DNA analysis to Gihan, who assesses the progress of the case and gives you further instructions.

The latest research in the field of DNA intelligence focuses on the estimation of an individual’s chronological age from a DNA sample, ie how old they are. While this application …

The prediction of an individual’s externally visible characteristics (EVCs) – like their eye, hair and skin colour – from a crime scene stain is another major focus of DNA intelligence …

Identification through DNA profiling can only occur when there is a reference profile for comparison, obtained either from a suspect in custody or from the criminal database – in the …

In 1995, the United Kingdom was the first country to set up a national DNA database (NDNAD) for crime solving purposes, operating within England and Wales. The idea behind forensic …

Once DNA samples have been profiled, analysis needs to be carried out to determine what the results mean. Watch David Ballard explain more.

The samples that have been amplified through PCR can be detected using capillary electrophoresis (CE). Watch Federica Giangasparo explain more.

More copies of the extracted DNA need to be made to enable visulaisation of the DNA as a DNA profile. Watch Federica Giangasparo explain more.

DNA needs to be extracted from biological samples before further analysis. Watch Forensic Analyst Federica Giangasparo explain more.

DNA is often described as being like a blueprint for your body – it contains the code that allows you to build all the various molecules that your body needs …

Examine the metal bar recovered from the crime scene for biological fluids to identify material that can be send for DNA profiling.