Applications of Biotechnology Forensics Evidence - Rayna Algama

Applications of Biotechnology: Forensic Evidence

What if a crime committed decades ago could be solved with just a swab of saliva? That is what forensic biotechnology can do. Forensic evidence is any information collected at a crime scene that can be used to investigate and solve a crime. It is based on scientific methods and includes materials such as DNA, fingerprints, blood samples, hair, fibers, and more. And with biotechnology, experts can analyze this evidence in a laboratory to identify suspects, confirm what happened, or rule out individuals who are not connected to the crime. Biotechnology allows forensics to use scientific tools that can link crime scene evidence to individuals. This presentation was created by Maria, Shay, Mia, and I. In our presentation, we break down how DNA evidence works in forensic investigations, share real-world uses, explore a breakthrough, and raise an important ethical question about personal privacy with genetic databases.

Our slide deck covered the basics and real world impacts of DNA biotechnology in forensic science. For our first visual, we started by explaining what forensic evidence is and how the evidence is used in criminal investigations. We also gave some examples of what would be considered forensic evidence. For our second visuals, we shared examples of how DNA has helped solve crimes. For our third visual, we focus on one specific cold case where biotechnology was used to convict a suspect, which showed how quickly forensic science is advancing and why this topic is still very relevant today. For our fifth visual, we raised an ethical question about privacy and consent, especially when law enforcement uses public genetic databases or ancestry testing services to identify or find/use/test the DNA of suspects. This led to a discussion in class.

One important thing we learned while creating this presentation was how useful biotech has become in criminal/forensic investigations. DNA evidence can be collected and analyzed much faster and more accurately than in the past. This helps investigators solve cases that may have gone unsolved for years or decades. It was interesting to learn that even a small amount of biological evidence can help connect a suspect to a crime scene. Biotech has also helped free innocent people who were wrongly accused because DNA testing can provide strong proof that someone was not involved in a crime and vice versa with convicting criminals who had gone free. At the same time, researching this has helped us understand the ethical concerns with using DNA databases and personal genetic information.

Some things we can improve on are that some of our slides had too much text, so adding clearer visuals or infographics would make the information more engaging. We could have improved the visuals to strengthen our presentation.