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Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee

Human Forensic Biology SC icon2

The Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee focuses on standards and guidelines related to training, method development and validation, data analysis, interpretation, statistical analysis, reporting and testimony for human forensic serological and DNA testing.

Officers | Members | Standards | Other Work Products

 

 

Officers

Jarrah Kennedy, Subcommittee Chair, Kansas City Police Crime Laboratory

Charlotte Word, Subcommittee Vice Chair, Consultant

Michele Madrid, Subcommittee Executive Secretary, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Members

Brian Adams, Bode Technology

Lara Adams, FBI Laboratory (Wildlife Forensic Biology Subcommittee affiliate)

Dawn Boswell, University of North Texas Health Science Center (Legal Task Group representative)

Jason Bundy, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (Vice Chair of OSAC's Biology SAC and member of OSAC's Quality Task Group and Terminology Task Group)

Lynne Burley, Santa Clara County Crime Laboratory

Phillip Danielson, University of Denver

Simone Gittelson, District of Columbia Department of Forensics, Affiliate, (Statistics Task Group affiliate)

Susan Greenspoon, Virginia Department of Forensic Science

Joanna Johnson, Indiana State Police Laboratory

Rebecca Just, National Bioforensic Analysis Center (NBFAC), National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC)

Tim Kalafut, Sam Houston State University

Rebekah Kay, Utah Bureau of Forensic Science

Eugene Lien, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner

Michael Marciano, Syracuse University

Stacy McDonald, Dallas County Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences

Andrew McWhorter, Texas Department of Public Safety

Shawn Montpetit, San Diego Police Department

Kate Philpott, VCU and Self-employed (Legal Task Group representative)

Christopher Piwonka, Texas Department of Public Safety

Kristin Schelling, Michigan State Police

Nadja Schreiber Compo, Florida International University (Human Factors Task Group representative)

Christie Smith, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Janel Smith, Phoenix Police Department

Susan Walsh, Indiana University-Purdue University Indiana

Diana Williams, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL)

Brian Young, Niche Vision Forensics

Erika Ziemak, University of North Texas

Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee Affiliate List

Standards

On the OSAC Registry

OSAC Registry Ribbon
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 018, Standard for Validation of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added May 4, 2021).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 020, Standards for Validation Studies of DNA Mixtures, and Development and Verification of a Laboratory's Mixture Interpretation Protocol. 2018. 1st. Ed. (added May 12, 2020).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 022, Standard for Forensic DNA Analysis Training Programs. 2019. 1st. Ed. (added September 1, 2020).
  • ANSI/ASB 023, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Isolation and Purification Methods. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added August 3, 2021).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 038, Standard for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Analysis Methods. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added May 2, 2023).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 040, Standard for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols. 2019. 1st. Ed. (added May 12, 2020).
    • See the intent/clarification note from OSAC's Biology SAC on Section 4.3. 
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 077, Standard for the Development and Internal Validation of Forensic Serological Methods. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added December 6, 2022).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 110, Standard for Training in Forensic Serological Methods. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added August 3, 2021).
  • ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 114, Internal Validation of Software used in Forensic DNA Laboratories. 2022. 1st. Ed. (added November 7, 2023).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 115, Standard for Training in Forensic Short Tandem Repeat Typing Methods using Amplification, DNA Separation, and Allele Detection. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added August 3, 2021).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 116, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Quantification Methods. 2020. 1st. Ed. (added August 3, 2021).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 130, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Amplification Methods for Subsequent Capillary Electrophoresis Sequencing. 2021. 1st. Ed. (added April 5, 2022).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 131, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Sequencing using Capillary Electrophoresis. 2021. 1st. Ed. (added April 5, 2022).
  • ANSI/ASB Standard 140, Standard for Training in Forensic Human Mitochondrial DNA Analysis, Interpretation, Statistical Evaluation, and Reporting. 2021. 1st. Ed. (added April 5, 2022).
  • OSAC 2020-N-0007, Best Practice Recommendations for Management and Use of Quality Assurance DNA Elimination Databases in Forensic DNA Laboratories (added April 6, 2021 and sent to ASB for further development and publication).
  • OSAC 2020-S-0004, Standard for Interpreting, Comparing and Reporting DNA Test Results Associated with Failed Controls and Contamination Events (added June 1, 2021 and sent to ASB for further development and publication). 
  • OSAC 2021-S-0003, Standards for Setting Analytical and Stochastic Thresholds for Application to Forensic DNA Casework Using Electrophoresis Platforms (added November 7, 2023).
  • OSAC 2021-S-0021, Forensic Autosomal STR DNA Statistical Analyses - General Protocol, Protocol Verification, and Case Record Requirements (added January 5, 2023 and sent to ASB for further development and publication). 
  • OSAC 2021-S-0029, Standard for Familial DNA Searching (added January 5, 2023 and sent to ASB for further development and publication). 
  • OSAC 2021-S-0028, Standards for Use of Serological Testing Methods Associated with Forensic Investigations (added November 1, 2022 and sent to ASB for further development and publication). 

Published by a Standards Developing Organization (SDO) and Eligible for the OSAC Registry

Sent to an SDO for Further Development & Publication

Under Development

  • OSAC 2022-S-0024, Best Practice Recommendations for Evaluative Forensic DNA Testimony
  • OSAC 2022-S-0040, Standard for the Internal Validation of DNA Extraction Methods
  • OSAC 2022-S-0041, Best Practice Recommendations for the Internal Validation of DNA Extraction Methods.
  • Standard for Training in Forensic Sequencing Methods (Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS)/Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).
  • Standard for Internal Validation of Genetic Analysis on NGS/MPS Platforms.
  • Standard for the Internal Validation of Human DNA Quantification.
  • Best Practice Recommendations for the Internal Validation of Human DNA Quantification.
  • Standard for the Internal Validation of Automated Platforms.
  • Best Practice Recommendations for the Internal Validation of Automated Platforms.
  • Best Practice Workflows for Efficient Sampling and Direct to DNA of Sexual Assault Kits.

Other Work Products

Input Needed: Human Forensic Biology Survey

OSAC's Human Biology Research Task Group is seeking input regarding current research needs, standards, and training for the forensic biology community. This survey will aid the OSAC Human Biology Task Group in (1) identifying the most practitioner-relevant research needs in the forensic biology community, (2) generating new standards or training documents based on practitioner feedback, and (3) understanding and identifying future training needs.

The survey will take approximately 30-60 minutes to complete. Participation requires that you are at least 18 years of age or older. Participation in this survey is fully voluntary and all responses will be anonymous. There is no compensation for completing the survey. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Nadja Schreiber Compo at schreibe [at] fiu.edu (schreibe[at]fiu[dot]edu).
 
Access the survey here: https://go.fiu.edu/OSACSurvey

Presentations

Process Maps

Reference Documents

Note: Subcommittee position statements or responses to data collections by the subcommittee do not necessarily represent the position of OSAC or NIST.

Research & Development Needs

Implementation Resources

  • The OSAC Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee has developed an assessment guide and worksheet laboratories can use to help evaluate whether they have met the requirements listed in section 4 of ANSI/ASB Standard 040, Standard for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols, 2019, 1st Ed. 
  • In late 2021, the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) entered into a cooperative agreement with NIST to develop tools, resources, and training to assist with standards implementation efforts. As part of this agreement, AAFS is developing checklists that forensic science service providers can use to provide objective evidence of implementation or compliance with a standard, identify gaps or impediments to implementation, or track progress towards implementation. A checklist for ANSI/ASB Standard 040, Standard for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols, First Edition, 2019 has been developed and is available on AAFS's Standards Checklists webpage. 
Created August 28, 2020, Updated March 5, 2024