Editor's Note: At the 20th International Symposium on Human
Identification, prominent figures in the DNA typing field were
asked to respond to a subset of specific questions posed during
the low copy number (LCN) session. Angela van Daal from Bond
University shares her response below. Points of view expressed
in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily
shared by Promega. DNA analysis is considered the gold standard
amongst the forensic disciplines, as highlighted by the recent
report on the forensic sciences from the National Academy of
Science. DNA typing is an extremely effective tool for
determining the contributor of biological material associated
with a crime. The exquisite sensitivity of the polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) allows minute quantities of DNA to be analyzed.
Underpinning the robust nature of forensic DNA analysis are
extensive validation studies, which have established the
conditions under which the assays produce reliable results(1)
The phenomenal success of DNA profilin