Industry News

King's College in London Finds M-Vac Collects 75% More DNA From Bricks Than Double Swab

Highlights

• The M-Vac® was superior to double swabbing for DNA collection from brick surfaces.
  
• Double swabbing collected more DNA than the M-Vac® on non-porous tiles.
  
• Cell-free DNA is lost in the filtration step of M-Vac® processing.
  
• The M-Vac® is a useful option for DNA collection when traditional methods fail.

Most of the detectives I know like to hear things straight up, so here it is. I recently heard of a DNA analyst who was handed a shirt by a detective who said “Find the DNA off of that.” That may sound reasonable to some, but as a man who talks to both law enforcement and forensic scientists on a regular basis, let me make a few suggestions based on what I see agencies doing that are producing results.

To read the rest of the article click here.

An Investigation of Touch DNA Collection Methods from Clothing: Traditional Cutting Techniques Versus a Wet Vacuum System

by Wander, Marc John, M.S., UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS, 2014, 52 pages; 1565737

Abstract:

This study explored an innovative method for recovering a male offender's touch DNA deposited on the external side of a cotton t-shirt worn by a female. Traditional cutting procedures were compared, in parallel, to a novel wet vacuum system, called the M-Vac®. This investigation compared these two collection methods to discover which method resulted in a higher yield of DNA, and also examined the relative amounts of male and female DNA obtained from clothing worn by a female and grabbed by a male, with the intent of mimicking an assault.

 To see the published abstract click here.

M-Vac Systems will be at booth #512 at the upcoming AAFS meeting in Las Vegas, NV! Come by and see the latest in wet-vacuum forensic DNA collection technology that is helping investigators solve more crime.

 If you are not able to attend, learn more about the M-Vac by watching this demonstration video.

The M-Vac System and it's unique wet-vacuum forensic DNA collection method took center stage this morning when CSEye Magazine, the quarterly publication of The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences in the UK, featured it as the front page article. M-Vac Systems' UK distributor, CSI Equipment, was instrumental in writing and publishing the article and in creating the overall activity in Europe.

Here is the first few lines of the article: NEW WET VACUUM TOUCH DNA RECOVERY SYSTEM

M-Vac wet vacuum system improves the search and recovery of touch DNA.

Bob Milne MCSFS FFS takes a look at the wet vacuum DNA technique and results achieved by a number of Police services internationally. Traditional swabbing is fine for the recovery of DNA from body fluids or the removal of cells on non-porous surfaces but what about the microscopic traces of body fluids or cells in crevices, in fabrics below the surface? Here swabs can be ineffective and that is why the M-VAC originally designed to recover bacteria from food plants for analysis was utilized in its present form to enable the more effective recovery of DNA.

Click here for the rest of the article.

Case Summary – touch DNA from brick (China)

Case Synopsis: Homicide due to blunt force trauma. In late July 2014, a deceased male was found on a small farm road in a suburban area of a large Chinese city. At the crime scene, a red brick with blood stains was found near the victim. Investigators concluded the victim was killed by the red brick.

Results: A high quality DNA mixture was obtained. DNA analysis resulted in positive identification of the victim and another male suspect. The DNA profile was compared to the DNA database in China, resulting in a positive match and subsequent arrest of a male suspect. The suspect profile generated by the M-Vac System was a significant part of the evidence used to gain a confession. The case was concluded.

Case summary created by AGCU ScienTech in Wuxi, China. For a copy of the summary click here.

The M-Vac System has been used again to help solve a difficult case, this time collecting DNA profiles from a rope used in an armed robbery and assault. Lauderhill Police Department, the agency with jurisdiction over the case, used DNA Labs International to do the M-Vac DNA collection after the swabbing method had failed to produce a profile.

Click here for a copy of the PDF.

New Collection Technique - the M-Vac System

In order to get an informative DNA profile, whether it be through autosomal or Y chromosome analysis, first the analyst must be able to collect the DNA from the substrate. Traditional methods for collecting DNA from a particular sample or substrate include swabbing, cutting, or taping. A new method of sample collection is the The M-Vac system. The M-Vac is a wet vacuum collection system designed to be used on forensic evidence. Studies have shown that this system is able to collect more DNA than traditional methods (in one study, up to 180X more epithelial cell DNA was collected with the M-Vac system as compared to swabbing). In addition, the M-Vac system has shown to be useful in collecting DNA from large areas and is even able to collect additional DNA from samples that have already been swabbed.

M-VAC manufactured by M-Vac Systems Inc. USA provides a new tool enabling the improved recovery of DNA from difficult surfaces and materials in both quality and quantity. Bob Milne MCSFS FFS takes a look at the M-VAC System and the results achieved by a number of Police services.

 For a copy of the full article click here.

Technical Insights from the Philadelphia PD Office of Forensic Science MAAFS Presentation

Research completed by the Philadelphia PD Office of Forensic Science on the M-Vac was presented at the 2015 MAAFS conference in Cambridge, Maryland.  A summary of that research and technical details pulled from the presentation are listed below.

• The M-Vac collected 180x more than the swab with dilute buccal cells on a porous, absorbent material
• It collected about 5x more on grab and touch scenarios
• It collected more DNA material than the swab when re-collecting from items that had been worn for 4 hours and had already been swabbed
• It is efficient at collecting from large items or surfaces

I consider myself a crime scene expert, mainly because I watch television and every show is designed to make the process of crime scene investigation look like a Sunday stroll through the park. Find some blood on the wall, swipe it with a q-tip, send it to the lab, convict a murderer. It’s easy as 1-2-3.

In actuality, the exercise of gathering evidence is a much more complex process. Sure, some crime scenes have pools of blood, providing investigators with a gold-mine of DNA linking criminal to crime. Many times, however, the DNA evidence left behind is microscopic, or buried so deeply within the fibers of an object that trying to find it with a q-tip is like showing up to a fist-fight with no arms — it just isn’t happening.

The unfortunate reality is that while DNA research and testing is more advanced than ever, many DNA profiles essentially boils down to the whims of a 25-cent swab.

“How CSIs gather the evidence is critical because if it gets screwed up at the crime scene then everything beyond that is worthless,” M-Vac CEO Jared Bradley said. “So there’s different methods of gathering this evidence and the most common is what’s called a swab. It’s basically a sterile q-tip...the DNA material—skin cells or blood or saliva or whatever you’re looking for—has to be sitting on the top of the surface. And if they’re way down deep inside cracks or crevices or in the fibers of the clothing, you just don’t get them. And so that’s why the M-Vac exists.”

For the original story click here.

Philadelphia PD Office of Forensic Science MAAFS Abstract

Title: Evaluation of a Wet-Vacuum Forensic DNA Collection System as a More Efficient Technique for the Collection of Epithelial Cells

Abstract: the wet-vacuum DNA collection system, developed by M-Vac Systems Inc., was compared to the traditional forensic swabbing method for the collection of epithelial cells from forensic evidence. Compared to current swabbing techniques, the M-Vac System collected substantially more DNA material, yielding a suitable profile, than the swabbing method (up to 180 times more DNA material). Additionally, the wet vacuum system performed well as a secondary collection technique on evidence that had already been subjected to the traditional swabbing collection method. While the traditional swabbing technique remains a reasonable and more cost effective collection method for cases where sufficient DNA samples are expected, the M-Vac System was found to be a superior tool for the collection of cellular material from evidence with a large surface area, where only brief contact was reported and evidence where the initial collection using traditional swabbing techniques yielded low quantities of DNA material.

Presentation will be at the MAAFS (Mid-Atlantic Association of Forensic Scientists) Annual Meeting May 21st

NOTE: The above is only an abstract and not a technical note or official paper.

THE CRIME SOLVER

By Charlene Renberg Winters (BA ’73, MA ’96)

Krystal Beslanowitch’s murder case haunted members of the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office for nearly two decades. In late 1995 the 17-year-old was fatally struck by a river rock, and Deputy Todd Bonner vividly remembers seeing her body lying by the Provo River near Midway, Utah. The sheriff’s office interviewed several hundred people statewide and pursued every lead possible. However, without suspects and with limited evidence, the trail quickly went cold.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, DNA evidence is not like on television. You just don’t find it lying around on a rock.

Well, with a new DNA collection method based on wet-vacuum technology, sometimes you can.

This cutting-edge technology (The M-Vac System) uses a hand-held device that sprays a solution on a surface to detach and suspend target DNA material, and vacuums the fluid into a removable bottle. Using a concentrating filter apparatus or the spin method, the technology has obtained admissible results in cases where traditional methods have come up empty, including a cold case investigation conducted by the Wasatch County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office.

The M-Vac System™ is designed to sample low levels of surface microbial pathogens or other particles from diverse surface types, with considerably higher efficiency than is possible with typical cotton or sponge swabs.

Click here for this study.

Law enforcement agencies and crime labs aren't the only ones who are recognizing the M-Vac System as a premier forensic DNA collection tool. Now the popular TV show The Mentalist is also getting into the action. During the show's Season 6, Episode 18 "Forest Green", one of the characters, portraying an FBI agent, suggests "Tell forensics to use the M-Vac. That'll pull DNA evidence out of anything!" when the stars are discussing how to solve a case.

Sorenson Forensics and the hit TV show Cold Justice have once again teamed up to help solve some of the toughest cold cases in America. On their website, Sorenson Forensics states:

"Sorenson Forensics is a leading provider of advanced forensic and DNA testing services, and utilizes an array of technologies and procedures to extract and profile even the faintest amount of DNA evidence from a crime scene. Over the course of the two seasons, Sorenson Forensics has used all available resources to advance justice on cases featured on “Cold Justice” including the M-Vac system, which uses a sophisticated wet-vacuum sampling device to collect significant amounts of DNA from immovable surfaces, and highly-sensitive Touch DNA sample collection kits to determine who last touched a piece of evidence by gathering the most recent DNA from a surface."

To see the announcement on Sorenson's website click here.

A verification test was conducted to evaluate the use of a filter apparatus with a 0.45 μm PES filter as a viable means for concentrating M-Vac samples. The verification also included a comparison of the double swab and M-Vac sampling methods. The M-Vac collected 39 times more DNA material than the double swab method.

August 1, 2011

The July-August 2011 issue of Evidence Technology highlighted the M-Vac technology in the article "The Microbial-Vac System: Advancing Human Identification by Improved Sampling"