Science Thursday: Getting Reform Right

Here’s a roundup of the week in forensic science. We’ll see you in 2011. Happy New Year!

Sir Alec Jeffreys, who discovered DNA profiling in 1984, joined with 32 other scientists this week in

calling on the British government

to reconsider its plan to close and split up its national Forensic Science Service.

The Charlotte Observer

called on state officials

to ensure that reforms at the lab get to the heart of recent problems rather than sweeping them under the rug.

A plan to

shift control of New Mexico’s DNA database

is drawing controversy as a new governor prepares to take office.

A procedure to determine

a person’s approximate age from a DNA test

continues to draw interest from the criminal justice community.

Communications gaps in Pittsburgh crime labs led to

evidence being improperly destroyed

. Some are calling for improvements in record-keeping and communications to improve evidence preservation.