The Contract Casework section is the principle group performing the DNA analysis of contract client casework samples. This specialized team of analysts has approximately 70 years of collective experience in screening evidence and DNA analysis from both violent and nonviolent crime cases including sexual assaults, homicides, and property crimes. Since 1998, Bode’s casework section has completed over 40,000 forensic cases. The success can be attributed to our dedicated scientists who develop and utilize state-of-the-art technology and are committed to generating scientifically accurate results by striving to exceed the Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA and Convicted Offender DNA Databasing Laboratories issued by the FBI Director.

The implementation of automation has played a key role in the sample processing of this group. Procedures have been developed and validated to utilize automation wherever possible in the laboratory processes to reduce manual steps involved in a process, and thereby minimize the potential for human error.

The casework section has the ability to perform DNA analysis for a wide array of casework evidence samples including, but not limited to blood samples, vaginal swabs, oral swabs, hairs and contact/touch swabs utilizing multiple validated extraction methods. A touch evidence protocol has been developed to optimize the DNA extraction efficiency from trace evidence associated most commonly with property crimes such as burglaries, a hair extraction protocol has been optimized for better results obtaining nuclear DNA from hair roots, and a Qiagen extraction method has been optimized and validated for all sample types.

Bode’s casework teams analyze and compare evidence collected from crime scenes with reference samples to identify a suspect, to confirm that a suspect committed a particular crime or to exonerate a falsely accused or convicted person. Any analyst performing case related activities on a client case (screening, extraction, quantification, amplification, CE processing, data interpretation, report writing, case review, etc.) will have sufficient experience in that specific technique. Analysts complete six months of training prior to processing any casework samples and participate in Bode’s semi-annual proficiency testing program.

Please contact our Technical Services Department at (866) 263-3773 x 787 to customize a contract to suit your needs.

See also the IT Solutions section for more information on the DNA analysis and serology methods available.

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