Browse the links below for recent forensic science news of interest to current and
prospective forensic science students, and their families.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/forensics/
http://www.forensicsinthenews.com/
WCU Forensic Science students and faculty present research findings at several conferences nationwide! See below for presentation titles.
Illumina MiSeq Users Meeting, 2012, RTP, NC
Talk: An evaluation of the Illumina MiSeq to detect minor variants in mixed human mitochondrial DNA amplicons from whole-blood and buccal cell extracts. Presented by Brandon C. Smith. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson.
Talk: Human mtDNA sequencing using the Illumina® MiSeq® Platform. Presented by Brandon C. Smith. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) 23, 2012, Nashville, TN
Poster: Preparing Sequencing Libraries of Human Mitochondrial DNA Using Illumina® Nextera® XT and NEBNext® dsDNA Fragmentase® Technology For Massively Parallel Sequencing. Presented by Hilde Stawski. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
Poster: Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region Next-Generation Sequence data obtained using the Roche GS Junior® and Illumina® MiSeq platform. Presented by Brandon Smith. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
UNC Charlotte Workshop in Next-Generation Sequencing, 2012, Charlotte, NC
Talk: An Evaluation of the Roche GS Junior Pyrosequencer to detect minor variants in mixed mitochondrial DNA amplicons. Presented by Mark R. Wilson and Groves B. Dixon
Wokshop: Detecting Minor Sequence Variants in Amplicons. Presented by Mark Wilson and Groves B. Dixon
WCU Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2012, Cullowhee, NC
Poster: Comparative Analysis of Fingerprinting Methods on Different Substrates. Presented by NaKristen Greene
American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference, 2012, Atlanta, GA
Talk: A single Library Preparation Method for Both Sanger Sequencing and Quantification of Minor Variants by Pyrosequencing. Presented by Groves B. Dixon. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Mark R. Wilson
Poster: Low-Level Variant Detection in mitochondrial DNA using the Illumina® GA IIx Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Platform. Presented by Brandon Smith. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference, 2012, Atlanta, GA
Poster: Preparing massively parallel sequencing libraries of human mitochondrial DNA using Illumina® Nextera® technology. Presented by Hilde Stawski. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) 22, 2011, National Harbor, MD
Poster: A single Library Preparation Method for Both Sanger Sequencing and Quantification of Minor Variants by Pyrosequencing. Presented by Groves B. Dixon. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Mark R. Wilson
Western Carolina Undergraduate Research Symposium, 2011, Cullowhee, NC
Poster: DNA Extraction from Bones using Complete Demineralization Techniques. Presented by Alexandra Witter. C
ontributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Mark R. Wilson
American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference, 2013, Washington D.C.
Poster: Improved Extraction Efficiency of Human Mitochondrial DNA from Hair Shafts and Its Implications for Sequencing of the Entire mtGenome from a Single Hair Fragment. Presented by: Erin S. Burnside. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Mark R. Wilson
Talk: Detection of low-level DNA sequences associated with nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes (NumtS) from human mitochondrial control region amplicons using massively parallel 454 pyrosequencing. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Groves B. Dixon, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
FORENSIC SCIENCE FACULTY PRESENTATIONS
International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) 23, 2012, Nashville, TN
Poster: An Optimized Protocol for Extraction of Mitochondrial DNA from Hair Shafts. Presented by Erin S. Burnside. Contributing authors: Brittania J. Bintz, Mark R. Wilson
Poster: Detection of low-level DNA sequences associated with nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes (NumtS) from human mitochondrial control region amplicons using massively parallel 454 pyrosequencing. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Groves B. Dixon, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
National Institute of Justice Conference, 2012, Arlington, Virginia
Poster: Detection of low-level artifacts associated with homopolymeric regions in human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) using massively parallel 454 pyrosequencing. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Groves B. Dixon, Mark R. Wilson
Molecules in the Mountains Conference, 2012, Cullowhee, NC
Talk: Development of a Novel Human Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Amplification Method for use with Illumina Next-Generation Sequencing Instrumentation. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Brandon C. Smith, Groves B. Dixon, Mark R. Wilson
American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) Conference, 2012, Atlanta, GA
Talk: Development of a Novel Human Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Amplification Method for use with Illumina Next-Generation Sequencing Instrumentation. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Brandon C. Smith, Hilde Stawski, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
Illumina NGS Workshop, 2011, Cullowhee, NC
Talk: Next-Generation Sequencing of Human Mitochondrial DNA Amplicons – Technical and Interpretational Issues. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Brandon C. Smith, Mark R. Wilson
International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) 22, 2011, National Harbor, MD
Poster: Next-Generation Sequencing of Human Mitochondrial DNA Amplicons – Technical and Interpretational Issues. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Brandon C. Smith, Groves B. Dixon, Erin S. Burnside, Mark R. Wilson
National Institute of Justice Conference, 2011, Arlington, VA
Poster: Development of a Novel Human Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Amplification Method for use with Illumina Next-Generation Sequencing Instrumentation. Presented by Brittania J. Bintz. Contributing authors: Brandon C. Smith, Mark R. Wilson
The acquisition of two state-of-the-art pieces of DNA sequencing instruments positions WCU’s Forensic Science Program to establish a sequencing core facility on campus.
Professor funded for DNA research
Mark Wilson, director of WCU’s forensic science program, received an award from the National Institute of Justice to evaluate emerging methods of DNA sequence analysis.
WCU installs new DNA sequencing equipment
The studies that forensic science faculty members are planning for WCU's new next-generation DNA sequencer could help introduce the technology into crime laboratory casework.