Mathematical Sciences: DNA Forensic Science: An Update

DNA分型已日益成为美国法医信息的一个共同来源，目前被联邦、州和地方犯罪实验室使用。最近，关于如何科学地解释DNA证据的争议越来越大。 如果要适当地使用DNA分型，如果要避免法庭上的混乱，就必须解决关于这一问题的辩论。 国家研究理事会正在开始一项研究，以解决由一个杰出专家委员会负责的核心问题。 该委员会将包括统计学和人口遗传学的适当分支学科的专门知识，以及分子生物学、法医学、法律和社会科学以及其他必要领域的额外专门知识。 这项研究将强调与法医DNA证据有关的统计和人口遗传学问题，并将特别注意法庭如何使用这种证据。 该委员会将审查有关研究和数据，特别是自1992年核管制委员会报告《DNA技术和法医学》以来积累的研究和数据，并将寻求适当专家的外部投入。 委员会在研究期间将举行五次会议。 出版报告的目标日期约为项目开始之日起7个月。

DNA typing has increasingly become a common source of forensic information in the United States and is currently used by federal, state and local crime laboratories. Recently, controversy has grown over how to interpret DNA evidence scientifically. The debate about this issue must be resolved if DNA typing is to be used appropriately and if confusion in the courts is to be avoided. The National Research Council is in the process of beginning a study to address the central questions, performed by a committee of distinguished experts. The committee will include expertise in appropriate subdisciplines of statistics and population genetics, with additional expertise in molecular biology, forensic science, law, and social science, and other areas as necessary. The study will emphasize statistical and population genetics issues relating to forensic DNA evidence and will pay particular attention to how such evidence is used in the courts. The committee will review relevant studies and data, especially those that have accumulated since the 1992 NRC report, DNA Technology and Forensic Science, and will seek outside input from appropriate experts. The committee will meet five times during the course of the study. The target date for publication of the report is approximately seven months from the project start date.