Each person has biologically unique DNA. A crime stain DNA profile found at a crime scene can be compared against a suspect profile - when there is a match, this indicates that the suspect may have been present at the crime scene. With a "cold hit", crime scene evidence is matched against a database of DNA profiles (such as convicted felons), thereby identifying a likely suspect. As with photographs, DNA crime scene evidence can be blurred or distorted, and may be consistent with many individuals. The TrueAllele® technology can help clear up this evidence, and increase identification power.
Transforming crime scene evidence into DNA information useful to the criminal justice system has four steps. The transformation begins with the preparation of biological specimens. The laboratory-based second step extracts, amplifies, and detects the DNA profile data; this phase can be automated using robots. In the third step, a human expert analyzes and interprets the DNA data, enabling the fourth step of communicating a report to the police or to the court. The TrueAllele technology automates these last two steps, replacing months of human process with minutes of computer results.