Mentors: Crime Scene Investigators Hillary Tolan, Cameron Durham, Julie Webb - Hall County Sheriff’s Office
Forensic toxicology is the science used to identify people in the criminal justice field, either as a victim or suspect. One important technique used in this identification process is DNA testing. DNA, formally known as deoxyribose nucleic acid, is your genetic makeup - the specific arrangement of chemicals unique to you. You leave DNA samples behind almost everywhere you go. It can be in the form of hair, spit, blood, touch DNA, and more. When processing a crime scene, investigators thoroughly analyze the setting in search of these traces of DNA. Once collected, these samples are then transported to the crime lab where investigators can run a plethora of different tests, depending on the form of DNA collected. Through extensive research, I have explored the different testing methods and the science involved in order to understand exactly how the criminal justice identification process works.
Project Website: https://ayersjosie2001.wixsite.com/dnatestinvestigation