Mathematical Sciences: DNA Forensic Science: An Update

DNA分型越来越多地成为美国法医信息的常见来源，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，并避免法庭上的混乱，关于这个问题的辩论必须得到解决。国家研究理事会正在开始一项研究，以解决核心问题，由一个杰出的专家委员会进行。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业知识，并在必要时增加分子生物学、法医学、法学和社会科学等领域的专业知识。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。该委员会将审查相关研究和数据，特别是自1992年NRC报告、DNA技术和法医科学以来积累的研究和数据，并将寻求适当专家的外部意见。在研究过程中，委员会将举行五次会议。报告的目标出版日期大约是项目开始之日起七个月。

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.