Move aside DNA, quicker way to catch a thief
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) - April 28, 2008 It would be a handy new weapon in the arsenal for detectives,
forensic experts and the military, though no one expects it to
replace DNA analysis - and its promoters say it is not intended to.
The new method analyzes antibodies. Each person has a unique
antibody bar code that can be gleaned from blood, saliva or other
bodily fluids. Antibodies are proteins used by the body to fend off
viruses or perform routine physiological housekeeping.
"DNA is a physical code that describes you ... and in many ways
so are your antibodies," said Dr. Vicki Thompson, a chemical
engineer at the Idaho National Laboratory who's been working with
other researchers to perfect the test for the past 10 years.
The scientists say an antibody profile can yield results faster
and more cheaply and be performed in the field with minimal
training. National lab administrators have licensed the technology
exclusively to Identity Sciences LLC in Alpharetta, Ga.
The Georgia startup plans to begin rolling out test kits and
training to law enforcement, the military and forensic and medical
labs around the globe by fall of 2009. Ken Haas, vice president of
marketing, says the test is not intended to supplant DNA testing,
the recognized gold standard in human identification.
But Haas says the value of antibody profiling is as a screening
tool to help make sense of a crime scene, sort out the blood trails
or spatter from multiple victims or more quickly identify body
parts on a battlefield or at the scene of a disaster like the Sept.
11, 2001 attacks.
It may also reduce the number of DNA tests required in an
investigation, potentially saving time and money and easing the
growing backlog, he said. Results from tests on blood serum or
dried blood can be ready in two hours, a fraction of the time it
takes to run similar tests for DNA matches.
However, a major drawback for now is the lack of a national
antibody database. That's one of the reasons antibody testing is
not likely to be used at the outset of an investigation to link
suspects to crimes or establish probable cause to justify issuing
an arrest warrant.
Company officials say beta testing by forensic scientists at
simulated crime scenes at seven locations across the country has
produced positive results and reinforced the notion that an eager
market awaits. The company declined to say where the testing
occurred, citing nondisclosure agreements with participants.
The company has not yet put a price tag on the field kits. But
executives say their product will be significantly cheaper than DNA
analysis, which can run anywhere from $500 to $3,000 per sample
because it requires sophisticated equipment and lab time.
"We don't see this yet as a product to take to court," said
Gene Venesky, vice president of Identity Sciences. "But we do see
this as a way to get the case moving forward toward a final, legal
resolution."
Still, some forensics experts say that kind of scrutiny may be
unavoidable, especially if the test takes on a bigger
crime-fighting role.
"There is a lot of potential here," said Lawrence Kobilinsky,
a DNA expert and chairman of the Department of Forensic Science at
John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "Any time you
can develop a quick and easy screen for something ... that is a
good thing."
But Kobilinsky and others caution that it takes time for any new
forensic test to gain acceptance where it matters most - state and
federal courthouses. If the new tests begin appearing in police
reports, defense attorneys can be expected to challenge their
validity.
"If these tests are going to get to the courtroom, which I
think is inevitable, they are not going to be admissible as
evidence until they can be proven reliable, accurate" and
trustworthy, Kobilinsky said. "My bet is that a crime scene unit
is going to be very careful about using this if it's not going to
be of any benefit in litigation."
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Idaho National Laboratory: http://www.inel.gov/
Identity Sciences: http://identitysciences.net