Customer Spotlight: Erik Hall, Director of the Forensic Science Program at Saint Louis University (SLU)
Forensic science is the application of scientific methods to matters of law; it draws on familiar fields, from biology to chemistry to computer science. Popularized by true crime shows and procedural dramas such as Bones, NCIS, and the CSI franchise, forensics has captured the public’s imagination. Fans tune in to watch their favorite investigator process evidence and triumphantly solve the crime. However, “unlike on CSI or these other shows, forensic scientists perform very specialized work (ie. someone is performing DNA and a different person the fingerprints, etc.),” explains Erik Hall, director of the Forensic Science Program at Saint Louis University (SLU). “Forensic Science is an ever-changing field where you need to be on the cutting edge of technology and techniques.” In his role, Hall provides students the most up-to-date methods for high quality analysis of DNA samples with data collected using the Azure Cielo 6 real-time PCR (qPCR) System.
"The students have found the Cielo easy to use and adaptable to whatever kit we are using. The machine has performed as expected and is a great addition to our forensic science teaching and research lab at SLU,"
The Cielo's role in the SLU forensic science program
After over a decade of working as a DNA Analyst and Biology Technical Leader for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Crime Lab, Hall transitioned to teaching at SLU, where he is now an Assistant Professor and Director of the University’s Forensic Science program. The program prepares students to work in a crime lab or crime scene processing environment, for careers in either the life sciences or pharmaceutical industry, or for graduate school. Hall’s career and real-world experience place him in a unique position to conduct research that collaborates across disciplines, in academia as well as in the real-world practice of forensic science.
At the Police Department, Hall shared a qPCR system with a local crime lab, but after his transition to SLU, found himself in need of his own. Forensic students at SLU learn to process crime scene evidence for DNA, including testing to identify fluids, swabbing to collect fluids and cells, processing to extract DNA, and quantifying DNA. The Cielo 6 qCPR System was a great fit for students to see if there is enough material to obtain a genetic profile.
Identifying best practices for forensic processing for DNA using the Cielo
In his own research, Hall is focused on finding best practices and techniques when combining multiple analyses on a single item of evidence. Questions his lab investigates include when fingerprint and DNA analyses are both needed on the same item, what the best order in which the processes should be completed is, and can choosing specific techniques for each processing step improve the chances for success for all steps? “Fingerprint examiners and DNA analysts don’t always have these conversations. The hope of this research is to start more conversations between different sections within crime laboratories,” Hall says.
"Cost is always a concern with instrumentation. The Cielo was affordable while producing similar quality output to what I was used to seeing in the crime lab."
Today, Hall and his students use the Cielo to quantify extracted DNA, as DNA yield is the primary endpoint in some of their projects. “The real time PCR machines are a crucial step in forensic science and one that gives us an accurate value of how much, if any, DNA we have to proceed in our processing,” he explains. For their studies, they choose to use forensic science–specific quant kits, such as the Powerquant kit from Promega, to run on the Cielo.
Check out this application note using the Cielo 6 and Promega GoTaq® Enviro Wastewater SARSCoV-2 System to detect SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater
With the research being done with the Cielo at SLU, he hopes to spark more dialogue within crime laboratories. Unlike what is commonly seen on T.V. crime shows, real-life forensic scientists perform very specialized work. Hall’s hope is empirical data will prove the best practices to lead us to better, more robust answers. In turn, clearer answers give defense attorneys, prosecutors, and detectives better data to rely on when determining the outcomes of a criminal case. The forensic work being done at SLU aims “to make sure that the crime laboratories and others have the most up to date and best technology to ensure they provide the highest quality analysis for all cases.”
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Fingerprint methods used in crime labs and the field can make DNA extraction more challenging. The research being done with the Cielo 6 at SLU is creating new collaboration opportunities between disciplines across the forensic science field. His research has implications beyond just fingerprints and DNA- it raises the question of how various evidence processing methods affect the quantity and quality of DNA obtained from samples.
Forensic science is an ever-changing field that requires each moving part to be need to be on the cutting edge of technology. Hall’s mission with his research at SLU is to make sure crime laboratories and others have the most up to date and best technology to ensure they provide the highest quality data analysis for all cases. To learn more about the Azure Cielo and how it can fuel your thirst for data accuracy, try the Cielo free for 7 days!
Check out what Hall and the forensic science students at SLU are up to by visiting their website here.
