Funding for DNA lab awarded
Although television programs, such as “CSI” solve crimes within the hour allotted, real DNA tests and analyses take time, money and educated people to get correct results.
That is what NDSU strives for with the new DNA lab.
NDSU received a $1.97 million grant from The U.S. Department of Justice to start a DNA and mitochondrial DNA laboratory.
Professors of chemistry and molecular biology S. Derek Killilea and Robert Sparks, who both submitted the proposal for the grant, said the lab will be a crime lab that takes samples from overwhelmed crime labs in the country.
“ Most crime labs have more cases than they can handle,” Sparks said. “We can take some of these cases and analyze them.”
The reason for the overflow of cases, Killilea said, is that now all felons are being typed for DNA and put into a database.
This is done so it is easier to identify a felon if his or her DNA turns up at a crime scene.
The labs that will be sending cases are part of the Midwest Forensic Resource Center. These states include North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Kansas.
The money given will be used for start-up costs, funding for machines and salary for laboratory staff.
Two important people on the laboratory staff, Killilea said, are Berch Henry, a technical manager, and Tom Wahl, a senior analyst. They will be the main people working the lab and taking in evidence for analysis.
The lab will also be an important tool for graduate and Ph.D. students because they can learn important skills for analyses in the real world, Killilea said.
“ It is the first one of its kind in the country for graduate students,” he said.
The secured lab is located in the IACC but is not up and running yet due to the process of finding the right equipment, accreditation of people and background checks.
“ Everyone has to undergo an FBI background check.” Sparks said.
The people working in the lab must also have a patient personality, Killilea said.
“ We service not only crime labs but also the defense lawyers,” Killilea said. “They must be able to go on the stand in court and keep their cool.”
Undergraduate students will also have the chance to gain skills in forensics once a faculty member is hired to run the student lab.
Killilea said the main lab will be for actual analyses used in cases and the student lab will try to duplicate the findings as a teaching process for students.
“ Hopefully next August there will be a faculty member to run the student’s lab,” Killilea said.
Undergraduates working toward degrees in biotechnology and biochemistry will have the opportunity to work in the real lab during summer hours once it is up and running.
The lab is already in place and has some of the equipment and personnel needed, Killilea said. It will hopefully be up and running in full force taking cases within the next year.