University of North Texas Health Science Center, DNA Identity Laboratory
Project: DNA Testing of Unidentified Remains, Fiscal Year 2004

This award will allow the University of North Texas Health Science Center At Fort Worth to furhter interact with Medical Examiners, Coroners Offices, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Center for Missing Adults, and law enforcement agencies throughout the US, in order to identify and collect unidentified human remains and reference samples from families with missing loved ones. In addition, UNTHSC has agreed to analyze remain samples collected from victims of the Tsunami that devastated Southern Thailand and other Indonesian countries. The goal of this project will be to enter into CODIS the STR and mtDNA profiles from a minimum of 2,000 samples within a 12-month period. The profiles will be generated from DNA obtained from 750 unidentified remains and 1,250 family reference samples. Funds provided from this continuation grant will provide salaries, additional equipment, and provide reagents and supplies to process these samples.

nca/ncf

This award will allow UNTHSC to offer Medical Examiners, Coroners Offices, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement agencies across the US the services needed to identify the missing. The FY 2006 funds will be utilized to enter into CODIS, the STR and mtDNA profiles from a minimum of 2,000 samples (500 unidentified remains and 1,500 family reference samples) and to refine and implement newer technologies such as mini STR's, novel sequencing technologies, and both nuclear and mitochondrial SNP markers.

nca/ncf