Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST In the shadow of COVID-19, an older epidemic continues to rage. More than 81,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States in the 12 months ending last May. That is the highest number ever recorded and a nearly 20% increase from the same period one year […]
Source: Kristy Kadash, PhD CALLING ALL DNA ANALYSTS QUESTION—If two labs are given the same mixture (as an electropherogram) and the same person of interest, how consistent are the statistical responses and categorical interpretations? And what factors explain any differences in responses? DNAmix2021 is a large-scale independent study being conducted to evaluate the extent of […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is launching an interlaboratory comparison study aimed at helping labs make the accurate Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) measurements needed to distinguish between hemp and marijuana. For this study, NIST will send samples of hemp and marijuana plant material to labs that will […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST Trained dogs are incredible chemical sensors, far better at detecting explosives, narcotics, and other substances than even the most advanced technological device. But one challenge is that dogs have to be trained, and training them with real hazardous substances can be inconvenient and dangerous. Scientists at NIST have […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST Changes to the OSAC’s structure include the addition of a new Scientific Area Committee (SAC) for forensic medicine and the separation of the chemistry SAC into two SACs, each focused on a different aspect of forensic chemistry. Closely related subcommittees have been combined, reducing their number from 25 […]
Source: Nancy J. Jackson, AAFS Accreditation and Outreach Coordinator The Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) is asking for your comments on and reaction to the proposed standards shown below for academic programs in Crime Scene Investigation. Background: Based on surveys conducted over the past several years, FEPAC has developed a set of standards […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat Six New Forensic Documents From the AAFS Standards Board The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of six new forensic standards. ANSI/ASB Standard 038, Standards for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Testing Methods ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 068, Safe Handling of Firearms and Ammunition ANSI/ASB Standard […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat New Forensic Toxicology Standard From the AAFS Standards Board The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of ANSI/ASB Standard 053, Standard for Report Content in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 2020. This document delineates the requirements for reporting results from forensic toxicology analyses. Specifically, it is intended […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research group that produces the Human DNA Quantitation Standard and other standards used in forensic DNA profiling have put their know-how to use in an effort to improve testing for COVID-19. COVID tests can give a false negative if a person is […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST The 2018 Farm Bill legalized cannabis products with less than 0.3% THC. However, labs can have a hard time getting accurate THC measurements, especially at that low level. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has now launched a program to help laboratories accurately measure key chemical […]
Source: Kenneth E. Melson, JD, AAFS CFSO Liaison In the previous posting of the CFSO Flash Brief for July 2020, there was a transposition of budget categories on page 3. The correct budget figures for NIST’s OSAC are FY20: $3,150,000 and House bill: $3,150,000. The figures for NIST’s Forensic Technical Evaluations category are FY20: $1,000,000 […]
Source: Kristy Kadash, PhD A new Promega® Webinar Series will be held over the next few months. The series is free and open to all. A portion of the abstract is provided here: A series of webinars have been created to provide information and educate the forensic and criminal justice community regarding new and emerging […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announces the first large-scale black box study for digital forensics. There have been black box studies for fingerprint and ballistic examiners, but this is the first large-scale black box study for digital forensics. It will test how well experts perform […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) for Forensic Science has placed two new standards covering the interpretation of DNA evidence on its registry of approved standards. This stamp of approval from OSAC, which is administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), indicates that these […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers used black light and glow powder to show how microscopic particles—in this case, from drug powders—can be spread around a forensic chemistry lab when handling evidence. This spread cannot be completely eliminated, but it’s important for labs to manage the […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of ANSI/ASB Standard 088, General Guidelines for Training, Certification, and Documentation of Canine Detection Disciplines, First Edition, 2020. This standard is produced through ASB’s Dogs and Sensors Consensus Body in a consensus process accredited by the American National Standards […]
Source: Rich Press, Public Affairs Specialist, NIST At the request of the National Archives, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) forensic ballistics lab have used advanced imaging methods to create high-resolution 3D models of the bullets used in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This historic preservation project will allow […]
Source: Jeri D. Ropero-Miller, PhD, AAFS President-Elect On October 28 and 29, an AAFS delegation composed of Jeri Ropero-Miller (President-Elect), Ken Melson (AAFS CFSO representative), Lucy Davis (ASB Chair, OSAC FSSB member), and Teresa Ambrosius (ASB Secretariat) attended a Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations (CFSO) all-hands meeting outside of Washington, DC. Other meeting attendees included CFSO […]
Source: Teresa Ambrosius, ASB Secretariat The AAFS Standards Board (ASB) is pleased to announce the publication of ANSI/ASB Standard 036, Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology, First Edition, 2019. This standard is produced through ASB’s Toxicology Consensus Body in a consensus process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The standard is based […]
Source: Sabra R. Botch-Jones, MS, Section Program Chair The Organization of Scientific Area Committees (OSAC) Toxicology Subcommittee and the AAFS Standards Board (ASB) Toxicology Consensus Body encourage all interested parties to provide comments on three toxicology standards which are available for public comment. These documents are listed along with links to each document. Please note […]