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Department Seminar Series - Kelly Elkins, Ph.D

Towson University

Location

Information Technology/Engineering : 456

Date & Time

December 5, 2022, 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm

Description

This event is part of the CBEE DEPARTMENT SEMINAR SERIES.

This event will be held in-person in ITE 456 - President's Room



Recovering DNA from human remains for DNA typing


Human remains may be the only evidence recovered in a case for forensic DNA typing. Several methods have been published to remove and isolate the DNA. Old human remains samples often exhibit evidence of degradation. While DNA extracted from modern bone and teeth may produce a full profile, DNA recovered from old and very old remains may lead to only incomplete or unusable DNA typing profiles. My lab has focused on increasing the quantity of loci that are typed in a DNA profile using DNA from historic period human remains. We have tested several approaches including different extraction methods, whole genome amplification, and high-fidelity DNA polymerases. WGA methods can enrich intact DNA strands in DNA extracts. Obtaining more and longer strand DNA molecules leads to more complete DNA typing profiles. Additionally, we have employed massively parallel sequencing (MPS), a more sensitive tool than the traditional DNA typing method using capillary electrophoresis, for DNA typing and analyzed nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. MPS enables DNA analysts to probe more loci with a DNA sample including loci to enable the prediction of the sex, eye and hair color, skin tone, lineage, and biogeographical ancestry and is being used to solve cold cases. 

Biography

Dr. Kelly Elkins is the author and editor of several books including Introduction to Forensic Chemistry, Forensic DNA Biology: A Laboratory Manual, Next Generation Sequencing in Forensic Science: A Primer, International Ethics in Chemistry: Developing Common Values Across Cultures and Trends in Counterfeit Drugs. Dr. Elkins is a Professor of Chemistry at Towson University where she has been since 2012 and the author more than 45 papers and invited book chapters on her research. Her research focuses on applications of DNA including DNA recovery, testing and phenotype prediction and chemical analysis of emerging drugs and mixtures. Her work has been published the Journal of Forensic Sciences, Analytical Biochemistry, Drug Testing and Analysis, and Medicine, Science and the Law. She is also one of the three founding editors of the Journal of Forensic Science Education. She has taught courses in forensic chemistry and forensic biology under various course numbers at four colleges and universities since 2006 and was the Director of the forensic science program at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a member of the American Chemical Society, and a member of the Council of Forensic Science Educators and served as its President in 2012. She consults on forensic cases.

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