FBI Partners with QIAGEN to Explore New Forensic Capabilities

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with QIAGEN, a multinational life sciences firm with a portfolio in the human identification and forensics market. The collaboration aims to develop a first-of-its-kind digital PCR (dPCR) assay that can simultaneously quantify in absolute terms nuclear and mitochondrial DNA concentrations, male DNA, and include quality markers for degradation and inhibition.

Forensic samples often contain very small amounts of DNA, which can be further compromised by age or environmental factors such as soil. Compared to traditional quantitative PCR, dPCR offers a higher tolerance to inhibitors and enables forensic specialists to detect and quantify even minimal amounts of DNA with high accuracy. This capability significantly improves the success rate of forensic analysis while saving time and money.

CRADAs enable the sharing of resources and expertise for collaborative research that advances the FBI mission. “The FBI conducts research to develop new capabilities that advance forensic science. This novel digital PCR assay could benefit the FBI and other forensic laboratories. We are excited to collaborate with QIAGEN to evaluate the potential of this capability in forensic casework,” said Eric Pokorak, Assistant Director, FBI Laboratory Division.

See https://www.fbi.gov/services/laboratory for details on the work of the FBI Laboratory.

Photo Caption: The FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.