On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, Katherine Stang, Aresh Kabirnavaei, and Andrew Roller, all students in the Master of Forensic Science program, presented their theses to the Forensic Seminar class. The following paragraphs will summarize each topic. Katherine Stang presented her thesis titled Issues in Forensic Identification and the Use of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). Short Tandem Repeat (STR) technology is a forensic analysis that examines specific regions or loci found on nuclear DNA. There are 13 main loci that the FBI uses as a standard for the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). More recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have attracted much attention due to their use in forensic DNA testing. An array SNP is a variation at a single site in DNA and is the most abundant variation in the human genome with over four million identified in the human genome. Some of the advantages of SNPs are their high presence in the genome, their use in lineage testing due to low mutation rates, and their use in degraded samples using short amplicons. Ms. Stang presented the following case study as an example of the use of SNPs in degraded DNA samples: A charred femur severely degraded by time and environmental conditions was found and although STR failed to type the sample, the SNP succeeded. Ms Stang said further work is needed in the area of ​​SNPs and should include agreement on how SNPs should be used in forensic laboratories, further studies to determine optimal procedures and research in the area. evidence of sexual assault. Next, Aresh Kabirnavaei presented his thesis entitled Microscopic characteristics of carpet fibers classified and indexed to facilitate the identification of the surveyed fibers. According to M...... middle of paper ......r than 3 mm in diameter. Medium-velocity impact spatters typically produce stains between 1 and 3 mm in diameter and can be caused by blunt trauma or stab wounds. High-velocity impact spatter spots are generally less than 1 mm in diameter and can be produced by gunshots. Reconstructing a crime scene using medium-velocity impact projections can provide information on directionality, point of convergence, and area of ​​origin. Blood spatter analysis can also be used to corroborate witness testimony regarding events at a crime scene. The error associated with BPA includes human error, non-uniform formation, and rotational mismatch. Mr. Roller concluded that BPA experts must remember to testify only about things they cannot exclude and that more work should be done to determine a universal method for BPA with consistency across crime scenes. and the different analysts..