21-Jul-2004

Forensic Science Service Expands License for Cybergenetics Automated DNA Data Review Technology

Cybergenetics, Corp. today announced that the Forensic Science Service (FSS), an executive agency of the British Home Office, expanded its license for Cybergenetics TrueAllele® technology to crime scene evidence. Three years ago, the FSS became the first group to validate and operate the TrueAllele software for automated forensic DNA data review. The FSS uses the TrueAllele process for the UK National DNA Database, which stores over two and a half million profiles and is the largest of its kind in the world. Cybergenetics pioneering technology uses proprietary computational methods that fully automate routine DNA analysis, replacing the slow and costly manual scoring that represents a substantial portion of the cost of analyzing DNA data.

"It is natural that the FSS, the long-time world leader in DNA forensics, is the first to apply our TrueAllele forensics technology to crime scene evidence," said Dr. Mark Perlin, chief executive officer of Cybergenetics. "The intelligent computerized TrueAllele system greatly reduces the time, cost, error and tedium of manually reviewing forensic data. We expect the FSS to realize further efficiency gains in applying TrueAllele interpretation to DNA evidence."

"The FSS has long been the world leader in automating forensic DNA," said Dr. Dave Werrett, chief executive of the FSS. "We created the first large-scale national DNA databank, along with the laboratory production and information delivery services that provide effective DNA intelligence to our police. The TrueAllele process helps analyze roughly 350,000 DNA database profiles for the FSS each year, with high accuracy and rapid turnaround time. We are pleased to extend our TrueAllele license to crime scene DNA evidence, applying Cybergenetics automated interpretation technology to an estimated 100,000 crime stains each year."

The UK National DNA Database assists police in catching criminals by matching DNA from crime scene evidence to a database of known offenders. This DNA database averages 100 hits a day, and has been instrumental in securing the convictions of thousands of offenders. In conjunction with Cybergenetics TrueAllele technology, 95% of UK DNA Database profiles are analyzed and entered within 5 days. Moreover, 95% of crime scene DNA evidence samples are processed within 10 days. There is no DNA backlog in the UK.

Conventional DNA data editing is a labor-intensive task that requires human review of every genotype and involves significant time and expense. Cybergenetics TrueAllele software is an automated intelligent system that performs approximately 90 percent of this routine data review rapidly, cost effectively and with a high degree of accuracy, enabling technical staff to focus on the small number of problematic samples. The TrueAllele technology is protected by US patents 5,541,067, 5,580,728, 5,876,933, 6,054,268 and 6,750,011; international patents are pending.

Financial details of the license were not disclosed.

Cybergenetics is the leading innovator of automated forensic DNA interpretation technology. Its flagship TrueAllele System 2 software generates high quality offender profiles for the UK National DNA Database, and has been scientifically validated in the United States. This year, Cybergenetics will release TrueAllele System 3, an automated forensic casework process for real-time interpretation of complex DNA evidence. More information on Cybergenetics can be found at www.cybgen.com.

The Forensic Science Service (FSS) is an executive agency of the UK Home Office, and is the market leader in the supply of forensic science services to police forces in England and Wales. It is also a source of training, consultancy, and scientific support for many overseas and private sector customers. The FSS is in the vanguard of forensic science technology and has an unrivalled reputation for the integrity, impartiality and accuracy of its findings. More information on the FSS can be found at www.forensic.gov.uk.