Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee

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

Beth Ordeman, Subcommittee Chair, Pinellas County Forensic Laboratory

Vacant, Subcommittee Vice Chair

Vacant, Subcommittee Executive Secretary

Members

Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee Affiliates

Standards

On the OSAC Registry

• ANSI/ASB Standard 018, Standard for Validation of Probabilistic Genotyping Systems, First Edition, 2020 (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, First Edition, 2018 (added May 12, 2020).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 022, Standard for Forensic DNA Analysis Training Programs, First Edition, 2019 (added September 1, 2020).
• ANSI/ASB 023, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Isolation and Purification Methods, First Edition, 2020 (added August 3, 2021).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 040, Standard for Forensic DNA Interpretation and Comparison Protocols, First Edition, 2019 (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, First Edition, 2020 (added December 6, 2022).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 110, Standard for Training in Forensic Serological Methods, First Edition, 2020 (added August 3, 2021).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 115, Standard for Training in Forensic Short Tandem Repeat Typing Methods using Amplification, DNA Separation, and Allele Detection, First Edition, 2020 (added August 3, 2021).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 116, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Quantification Methods, First Edition, 2020 (added August 3, 2021).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 130, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Amplification Methods for Subsequent Capillary Electrophoresis Sequencing, First Edition, 2021 (added April 5, 2022).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 131, Standard for Training in Forensic DNA Sequencing using Capillary Electrophoresis, First Edition, 2021 (added April 5, 2022).
• ANSI/ASB Standard 140, Standard for Training in Forensic Human Mitochondrial DNA Analysis, Interpretation, Statistical Evaluation, and Reporting, First Edition, 2021 (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-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) & Eligible for the OSAC Registry 

• ANSI/ASB Standard 038, Standard for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Testing Methods, First Edition, 2020. 
• ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 114, Best Practice Recommendations for Internal Validation of Software used in Forensic DNA Laboratories, First Edition, 2022.

Sent to an SDO for Further Development & Publication

• OSAC 2020-N-0007, Best Practice Recommendations for Management and Use of Quality Assurance DNA Elimination Databases in Forensic DNA Laboratories (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
• OSAC 2020-S-0004, Standard for Interpreting, Comparing and Reporting DNA Test Results Associated with Failed Controls and Contamination Events (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
• OSAC 2021-S-0021, Forensic Autosomal STR DNA Statistical Analyses - General Protocol, Protocol Verification, and Case Record Requirements (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
• OSAC 2021-S-0029, Standard for Familial DNA Searching (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry). 
• OSAC 2021-S-0028, Standards for Use of Serological Testing Methods Associated with Forensic Investigations (OSAC Proposed Standard on the Registry).
• REVISION to ANSI/ASB 038, Standard for Internal Validation of Forensic DNA Analysis Methods, Second Edition, 20xx.
• REVISION to ANSI/ASB 077, Standard for the Development and Internal Validation of Forensic Serological Methods, Second Edition, 20xx.
• Assigning Propositions for Likelihood Ratios in Forensic DNA Interpretations.
• Standard for Training of Forensic Autosomal and Y-STR Data Interpretation.
• Standard for Training in the Use of Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).
• Standard for Training to Perform Forensic DNA Reporting and Review.
• Standard for Training in the Use of Statistics in Interpretation of Forensic DNA Evidence.
• Standard for Training of Analysis of Forensic STR Data.
• Forensic Laboratory Standards for Prevention, Monitoring, and Mitigation of DNA Contamination.
• Standard for Training on Testimony for Forensic Biology.
• Standard for Internal Validation of Human Short Tandem Repeat Profiling on Capillary Electrophoresis Platforms.  
• Best Practice Recommendations for Internal Validation of Human Short Tandem Repeat Profiling on Capillary Electrophoresis Platforms. 
• Standard for Internal Evaluation of a Laboratory's DNA Mixture Interpretation Protocol.
• Standard for Reporting DNA Conclusions. 

Under Development

• OSAC 2021-S-0003, Standard for Setting Analytical and Stochastic Thresholds for Application to Forensic Casework Using Electrophoretic Systems. 
• 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

Process Maps

• Human Forensic DNA Analysis Process Map (Current Practice), May 2022. 

Reference Documents

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

• OSAC Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee Response to NIST DNA Mixture Interpretation Foundation Review, August 23, 2021. 

Research & Development Needs

• See the research & development needs identified by the Human Forensic Biology Subcommittee.

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, First Edition, 2019. 
• 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.