Dr. Oldoni, Megan Foley ’14 Publish Research on Next-Generation Sequencing

By Dan DiPrinzio | December 21, 2022

Dr. Fabio Oldoni, assistant professor of Forensic Science at Arcadia University, and Megan M. Foley ’14MSFS, had research, “A global snapshot of current opinions of next-generation sequencing technologies usage in forensics,” published in Forensic Science International: Genetics, the official journal of the International Society for Forensic Genetics. 

Their paper outlines current analytical challenges and concerns experienced by the global forensic DNA community, which must be overcome if next-generation sequencing is going to become a more mainstream technology. 

The study focused on three main objectives:

  1. Evaluate the current status of next-generation sequencing use in the field of forensic biology. 
  2. Gather opinions of practitioners and research scientists in forensic biology on current issues of technology implementation
  3. Collect opinions of what the future of next-generation sequencing will look like in research and development and crime laboratories. 

“In a nutshell, this study revealed the current analytical challenges and top concerns experienced by the global forensic DNA community, which must be overcome in order for sequencing to become a more mainstream forensic tool,” Dr. Oldoni and Foley wrote in their conclusion. “The encouraging findings of our study can help educate all professional levels in the forensic genetics field including researchers, manufacturers, lawyers, and most importantly practitioners for eventually fostering the forensic adoption of this revolutionary sequencing technology.”