The Forensic Genetics Laboratory

The Forensic Genetics Laboratory was created by the necessity to identify the victims of the Civil War. It is therefore a forensic laboratory oriented towards the genetic analysis of bones; nevertheless, the Laboratory is capable of processing any type of biological tissue with the aim of generating a forensic DNA profile.

The Forensic Genetics Laboratory was conceived following the models and experiences of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) in Bosnia, and the technology developed to identify the victims of the World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks.

 The Laboratory possesses the latest equipment used for forensic analysis (real time PCR ABI 7500, and the Genetic Analyzer ABI 3130) and facilities designed to avoid cross contamination. For example each room is negatively pressurized, and the rooms for DNA extraction from High Copy Number (HCN) and Low Copy Number (LCN) samples are physically separated.

In order to identify a victim a DNA profile is generated. This profile consists of a “numeric sequence” unique for each individual (which could be seen as an ID number, a bar code within our cells). If we have an unknown sample (bone, blood, other body fluid, hair, etc.) and we obtain its DNA profile, we have to compare this profile with the one generated from a direct known sample from the missing individual (toothbrush, hair in a comb or blood samples from clinical tests). If both profiles match then we can say that the unknown sample is indeed from that individual and thus it is identified. The application of this principle and techniques constitutes a scientific breakthrough for Guatemala, and it is the purpose of FAFG to offer the services of the Laboratory for the benefit of the country. 
 
 

FAFG has been working for approximately 1 year to prepare each of the required aspects to obtain the ISO 17025 accreditation and became an operational Forensic Laboratory which fulfills all of the international scientific criteria.

The training, accreditation and validation of all the process is fundamental for the Forensic Genetics Laboratory before the results it produces are accepted by the authorities, so ensuring the reliability of these as well as complying with Guatemalan standards. The laboratory personnel will be prepared to defend, in the courtroom, the work and analysis performed at any moment.

 In the particular case of skeletal remains found in mass graves, there is no possibility to compare them against direct samples from the victims since too much time has gone by and there are no artifacts or belongings from which to obtain their DNA. All individuals inherit half of their DNA from their mother and the other half from their father; therefore we all share to some extent, part of our DNA with close relatives. That is why it is plausible to identify and determine if a person belongs in a familial group through DNA typing.

Due to this fact, the collection of familial reference samples is of vital importance for the

identification of victims. It is highly important to control the collection process to avoid contamination; manage adequately all the data regarding the familial relationships since the degree of kinship between reference donors and victims is considered when performing the DNA profile analysis.

All the generated data will be analyzed with the M-FISys software. This software was designed to process all the data generated during the DNA typing and identification of the victims of the WTC attack. This same software was used for the identification of the victims of the tsunami in Thailand, the bomb detonations in the London subway and the crimes against women in Ciudad Juárez, México.

This software package has the ability to manage simultaneously the data generated in the forensic anthropology laboratory, the ante-mortem data, and the genetic analysis. By performing a comparison of DNA profiles from bone tissue and reference samples, the program is capable of estimating a statistical value which represents the likelihood of a bone sample belonging to a family group.
By being able to conduct massive scale identifications, closure will be given to the mourning process; also the relatives of Guatemala’s victims of the civil war, who are still looking for their missing relatives, will be dignified.