NEW YORK – Verogen and the Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE) said today that they are collaborating on the implementation of next-generation sequencing in forensics.
Under the agreement, CFSRE will develop training materials for implementing forensic casework workflows using the Verogen MiSeq FGx platform and ForenSeq DNA Signature Prep Kit. CFSRE will also develop training materials for law enforcement and practitioner communities.
As part of the collaboration, CFSRE recently validated Verogen's products. Financial and other details of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We have been encouraged by our evaluation of this technology and its ability to recover almost twice as many genetic markers for degraded and low-level sample types as compared to traditional capillary electrophoresis-based approaches," CFSRE director Heather McKiernan said in a statement. "This technology will continue to propel genetic testing capabilities forward, helping to resolve the more challenging forensic cases encountered in this modern era."
Based in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, CFSRE was established by the Frederic Rieders Family Foundation to promote continuing professional development for forensic scientists.
Verogen, an Illumina spinoff, launched in 2017 and recently received clearance from the FBI for the ForenSeq kit to generate DNA profiles for use with the National DNA Index System. The firm uses Illumina sequencing technology.