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This study investigates the effectiveness of non-invasive soot deposition measurement techniques as a practical tool for fire investigators to quantify burn patterns in a fire scene. A novel technique relying on the photoacoustic effect of soot is compared
For experiments that require the extraction and concentration of ignitable liquids, quantitatively comparing the similarity between samples obtained under experimental conditions to reference samples provides a straightforward way of defining the
Tova Lindh, Maja Sidstedt, Kevin Kiesler, Peter Vallone, Johannes Hedman
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) applications including sequencing rely on accurate thermostable DNA polymerases. Polymerization errors may hinder the detection of low-level DNA variants such as mutations in clinical samples or DNA from minor contributors
Mary Gregg, Balasubramanian Muralikrishnan, Katharine Shilling
This paper documents efforts by members of the Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction subcommittee within the Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science, in collaboration with researchers at the National Institute of Standards
Cannabis revenue has risen in the United States (US) from $16.5B in 2018 to $45.4B in 2025 [1], which can be attributed to the legalization of hemp in 2018 with the passage of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) and the surge of
Henry Swofford, Steven Lund, Barbara Guttman, Erica Romsos, Johannes Soons, Melissa Taylor, Hariharan Iyer, Peter Vallone, John Jones, Vincent Desiderio, John Butler, Sandra Koch, Robert Thompson, Gregory Fiumara, Edward Sisco, Kelly Sauerwein, Allison Getz, Robert Ramotowski
This document provides guidance to the forensic science community on method validation. Building on the definition of validation in ISO/IEC 17025, it explores the specific components of validation within a forensic science context and introduces five
This article is based on a plenary presentation given at the May 2025 European Academy of Forensic Science (EAFS) meeting with a theme "Reflections on Forensic Science: Looking Back to Look Forward" and was an invited submission to a special issue
Jonelle Thompson, Michael Lauck, Elizabeth Hamilton, Heather Hodges, Maximilian Neis, Cornelius Courts, Aimee Hack, Alan Pierce, David Moore, Katja Anslinger, Birgit Bayer, Peter Vallone, Carolyn Steffen, Rachel Knoener, Karthika Karthika Divakaran, Stephen McDaniel, Robert McLaren
The PowerPlex® 18E System is an 18-locus, eight-dye, STR multiplex optimized for use with the Spectrum CE System and Spectrum Compact CE System. It simultaneously amplifies all 16 ENFSI-recommended loci and two gender-determining loci. In addition, there
William Feeney, Ruthmara Corzo, Arun Moorthy, Edward Sisco
The ever-changing drug landscape has caused a continual strain on resources for forensic drug chemistry laboratories. With the influx of novel psychoactive substances and other emerging compounds of concern, the utility of traditional screening approaches
In 2018 in conjunction with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assembled a group of multidisciplinary experts, the Evidence Management Steering Committee (EMSC), to develop a plan to (1)
In 2018 in conjunction with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assembled a group of multidisciplinary experts, the Evidence Management Steering Committee, to develop a plan to (1) provide
In 2018 in conjunction with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assembled a group of multidisciplinary experts, the Evidence Management Steering Committee, to develop a plan to (1) provide
Balasubramanian Muralikrishnan, Katharine Shilling, Mary Gregg, Vincent Lee, Jason Keller, Erin Casey, Eugene Liscio, Bryon O'Neil, Mike Russ, Toby Terpstra
This report describes a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) testing event, the NIST Measurement Week, held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) during the week of May 12-16, 2025. The Crime Scene Investigation and Reconstruction (CSIR)
Over the last several years there has been an influx of α2-agonists into the street drug supply. This began with the proliferation of xylazine, a potent veterinary sedative. Since 2023, another sedative, medetomidine, has been widely detected. Medetomidine
An effort to identify and describe some of the most valuable publications (MVPs) in forensic genetics has been made with the initial 2021 MVP list containing almost 500 informative publications across 26 topic categories. MVP lists were revised in 2022 and
Hariharan Iyer, Seungmin Seo, Lukas Diduch, Kay Peterson, George Awad, Yooyoung Lee
The 2024 NIST Generative AI (GenAI) Pilot Study focuses on evaluating text-to-text (T2T) generation and discrimination tasks to assess the capabilities and limitations of generative AI models and AI detectors. The study aims to measure the effectiveness of
Karli Hochstatter, Talia Nadel, Edward Sisco, Sarah Laurel, Tori McDowell, Elise Pyfrom, Meghan Appley, Fernando Montero
Objective: The objective of this observational epidemiological study is to examine recent shifts in the street opioid supply of the largest U.S. open-air drug market, including changes in prevalence and concentration of key compounds. Methods: From March
Drug-checking programs use point-of-need testing (e.g., test strips) and laboratory-based analysis to rapidly identify emerging drug threats, but each has limitations. Test strips are quick but compound or class specific, whereas laboratory testing can
The Bullet Black Box Working Group (BulletBB-WG) was convened to review the results of the NIST-Noblis Bullet Black Box Study, and assess the implications of that study on casework. This report includes the recommendations of the BulletBB-WG on how to
STRBase (strbase.nist.gov) was launched in late 1997 to collect and organize information in one location about Short Tandem Repeats (STR), the new emerging forensic marker type at the time. Over the next twenty-plus years, data related to STR markers was
Forensic and commercial laboratories rely on well-characterized analytical methods to accurately determine total tetrahydrocannabinol (total THC), which is the sum of decarboxylated tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9
Officers of the Court including judges and attorneys can benefit from receiving information from neutral sources to inform their understanding of foundational scientific and forensic science principles. Inspired by a request from Congress and a National