2015/02/05

Scotish Police Authority February 2, 2015: Scots Forensic Service to lead Europe in DNA Technology

Scotland now has the most advanced DNA profiling system in Europe following a £6 million investment in new forensic capability.

Established within the ground-breaking Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh, scientists working at the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Forensic Services laboratories are obtaining more DNA profiles from smaller or lower-quality samples than ever before.  The technology now being used in the Gartcosh labs is at the fore-front of DNA testing available across Europe.

Michael Matheson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Justice, today (2 February 2015) visited SPA Forensic Services laboratories at the Scottish Crime Campus to formally launch the new DNA technology.

Scotland’s DNA24/GlobalFiler technology, provided by Thermo Fisher Scientific based in Paisley, looks at 24 areas of a person’s DNA – a huge step up from the 11 areas that made up previous DNA profiling technology and an advance on the 17 areas which is the European standard.

Michael Matheson MSP, said: 
“It is fantastic to see Scotland leading the way in this field with the most advanced DNA profiling in Europe, backed by a £6 million investment from the Scottish Government.

“Scotland is getting safer and crime is at a 40-year low but new and innovative technology like DNA24 is crucial to tackling and preventing future crime throughout Scotland and beyond.

“As well as being a vital tool in the armour for tackling organised crime and terrorism, this facility will be invaluable in the investigation of historical ‘cold’ cases, helping bring answers to the families of victims of crime who are still waiting for justice to be served. more