It is a requirement of the FBI National Standards that each
accredited forensic laboratory performing DNA analysis have
a Technical Leader (see list of requirements below). Our
principle consultant, Dr. Mitchell Holland, has been a
Technical Leader for both public and private forensic DNA
laboratories. Given his vast experience with all types of DNA
testing procedures (STR and Y-STR typing kits, and mtDNA
sequencing) on a variety of instruments (Applied Biosystems
377, 310, and 3100, and the Hitachi FMBIO II), Dr. Holland is
capable of fulfilling the role of Technical Leader in almost any
laboratory in the United States.
The services we provide as a remote Technical Leader
include:
FBI National Standards for Technical Leaders
5.2 The technical manager or leader shall have the following:
5.2.1 Degree requirements: The technical manager or
leader of a laboratory shall have at a minimum a Master's
degree in biology-, chemistry- or forensic science- related
area and successfully completed a minimum of 12 semester
or equivalent credit hours of a combination of undergraduate
and graduate course work covering the subject areas of
biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology (molecular
genetics, recombinant DNA technology), or other subjects
which provide a basic understanding of the foundation of
forensic DNA analysis as well as statistics and/or population
genetics as it applies to forensic DNA analysis.
5.2.1.1 The degree requirements of section 5.2.1 may be
waived by the American Society of Crime Laboratory
Directors (ASCLD) or other organization designated by the
Director of the FBI in accordance with criteria approved by
the Director of the FBI. This waiver shall be available for a
period of two years from the effective date of these
standards. The waiver shall be permanent and portable.
5.2.2 Experience requirements: A technical manager or
leader of a laboratory must have a minimum of three years of
forensic DNA laboratory experience.
5.2.3 Duty requirements:
5.2.3.1 General: manages the technical operations of the
laboratory.
5.2.3.2 Specific duties:
(a) Is responsible for evaluating all methods used by the
laboratory and for proposing new or modified analytical
procedures to be used by examiners.
(b) Is responsible for technical problem solving of analytical
methods and for the oversight of training, quality assurance,
safety and proficiency testing in the laboratory.
5.2.3.3 The technical manager or leader shall be accessible
to the laboratory to provide on-site, telephone or electronic
consultation as needed.
