Rape-kit testing:

What does
it take?
Sexual-assault victims face hours
of having their skin scraped
and swabbed by a forensic
nurse who tries to find
DNA that could reveal or
confirm the identity of a
perpetrator. Each swab
is placed in an enve-
lope and sealed in a Left A
sexual-assault
white box, which is evidence kit.
sent to the state Below left A
crime lab. The lab lab worker
prepares to open
employs a dozen evidence enve-
analysts who move lopes to begin the
DNA extraction
the kit through process.
serology, DNA Below A robotics
extraction and data system reads the DNA
and converts the data
analysis. into a digital readout.

1 Serology
Serologists open as
many as 20 envelopes
from a rape kit,
which may include
hair and swabs of
genital areas or
underneath finger-
nails. They cut pieces
from selected swabs
and place each into a test tube. They may also test accompanying items,
such as clothing. Seminal fluid will turn bright purple when acid
phosphatase is applied to it; it appears bright green when a scientist
sees it through orange or yellow-hued lenses in a dark room using
fluorescent light.
Possible delays Testing doesnt start until the lab has all the
evidence that will need testing in the case. An
analyst can generally process two to three kits
per day.
2 DNA extraction
Until now, lab workers have added chemi-
cals to the test tubes by hand, then moved
them by hand through a series of machines.
Starting this month, test tubes will be placed in
a new robotic station. It will apply chemicals that
separate out DNA, clean it and count the number of
cells in the sample. The machine will produce a well plate, similar
to a large glass slide with small indentations, containing the
extracted DNA.
Possible delays Once samples are placed in the machine, new
robotics will swiftly move evidence through this stage.
3 Analysis
In a clean room, a machine makes copies of the DNA to create
larger samples. Another robotics system uses electrical charges
and lasers to read the DNA, which a software program converts
into a digital readout. A human analyst evaluates the multi-
colored graph of peaks and numbers and makes comparisons
between digital profiles.
Possible delays With staffers analyzing the speedier flow of
digital profiles, cases may begin to back up at this step. It can
take about 30 minutes to confirm a match with a single DNA
profile.
Inset left A
serologist looks
for telltale signs
of seminal
fluid using
flourescent
light.
4 Making a match
Lab workers enter some profiles into CODIS, the federal
Combined DNA Indexing System database of DNA from
anyone who has been arrested or convicted of a violent
felony. If there is a CODIS match, the lab will ask law
enforcement for a new sample from that suspect. Then the
GRAPHIC BY process starts anew as lab workers process and compare
TODD ADAMS,
PHOTOS BY
that sample to the one generated from the crime scene
RICK EGAN evidence.
| The Salt Lake Tribune
Possible delays Getting a new sample requires finding the
suspect. New testing faces all the previous potential delays.
Sources: Utah State Crime Lab, Sorenson Forensics