September 24, 2008 -

Chemistry Professor Richard Mathies, Director of the Center for Analytical Biotechnology and member of the Graduate Group in Bioengineering was featured in MIT’s Technology Review

for his team’s development of a new portable DNA analyzer that performs real-time analysis of blood samples left at the scene of a crime. This work is being lauded as both an important development for the forensic community and an important advancement in lab-on-a-chip technology.

The portable DNA detector device packs microfluidics, electronics, optics, and chemical detection technology into a single briefcase-sized unit. The detector measures 30 by 25 by 10 centimeters and weighs 10 kilograms. It consumes 20 watts of power, which can be supplied by a car battery. It can be used for short tandem repeat (STR) analysis, a technique that has become routine in modern forensic work since it was first applied in 1991, but one that normally takes place in the lab.

The researchers carried out real-time STR profiling at a mock crime scene set up by the Palm Beach County (FL) Sheriff's Office. Blood stain samples were collected and DNA extraction and analysis were performed at the crime scene within six hours. Read the full article in the MIT Technology Review.