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Scientific symbols falling from space
August 15, 2019

Next Generation Sequencing to Detect Environmental Stress

Dr. Krista Ternus presented her research at the National Environmental Monitoring Conference held August 5-9, 2019. The presentation slides are available here. Abstract: Next generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to detect changes within microbial communities in response to specific types of stress. However, the majority of species within complex... MORE
Gloved hand holding bag of white powder with drug paraphernalia in background
August 12, 2019

SigSciPT: Suspicious White Powder Incidents Present New Risks

Fentanyl and its analogues present identification challenges for first responders Fentanyl and its analogues are more frequently making their way into common street drugs, adding a new dimension of danger to even incidental exposure to these substances. Fentanyls are increasingly being added to heroin and other illicit drugs because they... MORE
Graphical representation of protein with text "Proteos-ID"
July 15, 2019

Signature Science Team Awarded Phase 2 Funding for IARPA’s Proteos Program

Researchers from Signature Science, University of North Texas Health Science Center, and The Ohio State University are combining their proteogenomic and investigative genetics expertise to develop a new method (called Proteo-ID) for human forensic analysis based on protein sequence, enabling the forensic analysis of samples that contain little or no... MORE
Person at TSA screening station
June 14, 2019

Focus on Third Party Testing to Support TSA Acquisitions

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has an interest in streamlining their acquisition process for new detection technologies. Manufacturers of detection technologies desire to get their products to market as fast as possible while also ensuring that equipment meets the TSA’s detection requirements. External testing (i.e. testing performed by third party... MORE
Male symbol on illustration of a male figure in front of DNA helix and laptop and QIAgility device
June 4, 2019

Increasing Sexual Assault Kit Workflow Efficiency Through Automation

Signature Science, a private Forensic DNA Laboratory based in Austin, Texas, validated a suite of robotics and associated methods for sexual assault kit processing in 2018 with the goal of increasing throughput while also delivering a more quantitatively robust product to our clients. Our internal assessment led to the selection... MORE
False color image of pathogens
May 29, 2019

Validating Metagenomic Analyses Through Simulated Direct and Indirect Healthcare-Related Pathogen Transmission Events

Abstract: The prevalence of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) places a significant economic burden on modern healthcare systems. Cultures are typically used to diagnose HAI; however, culture-dependent methods provide only limited presence/absence information and are not applicable to all pathogens. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has the potential to detect a wide variety... MORE
Cityscape surrounded by a DNA helix and the text "S2FAST: Sequence to Functional Analysis of Threats"
April 23, 2019

Signature Science Team Awarded Phase 2 Funding for IARPA’s Fun GCAT Program

AUSTIN, TEXAS – April 23, 2019 – Signature Science, LLC has been awarded funding for Phase 2 of their work supporting the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity’s (IARPA) Functional Genomic and Computational Assessment of Threats (Fun GCAT) program. The research team will continue development of their Sequence to Functional Analysis... MORE
Question mark over an Illustration of a male figure with DNA helices
March 5, 2019

Probabilistic Genotyping Brings Benefits to DNA Casework

The interpretation of DNA mixtures continues to be a pervasive topic in the field of forensic DNA analysis. With the long awaited publication of the NIST MIX05 MIX13 study, and an increasing number of DNA laboratories turning to probabilistic genotyping, it’s worth stopping for a moment to consider just how the... MORE