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1 August 2005
Crucial Genetics achieves government gold standard.
A spin-out company from the University of Glasgow has become the first private Scottish firm to be officially accredited for DNA profiling work, which could include forensic work in police investigations.
Crucial Genetics, who are based at Glasgows Southern General Hospital, specialise in using DNA samples to carry out procedures including rapid paternity testing and tracing of family bloodlines.
But following a prestigious stamp of approval from the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), Crucial Genetics are now the only private firm in Scotland recognised as providing the quality of service and expertise required for DNA cases requested by the authorities.
UKAS is the sole national accreditation body recognised by government to assess, against internationally agreed standards, organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.
Adam Middleton, business manager at Crucial Genetics, said: Weve been working really hard on getting this accreditation since April 2004, and it has been a long, complicated process. Achieving the standard required for UKAS accreditation is a real feather in our cap and it opens up a whole new side of the business for us.
We can now service police and military forensic requirements, which no other private firm in Scotland can do. In the past, if the police wanted to outsource tests to identify a murder victim, for example, the work would generally have had to go to England, but were now in the position where we can provide that service from Glasgow.
We hope forensic analysis will become a significant part of our future revenue. DNA is a massive part of criminal investigation now if DNA material is picked up from the scene of a crime theres a 45 per cent chance they will be able to pick up a matching suspect from the national DNA database.
The companys services include paternity testing. Traditional methods of testing can take up to eight working days to yield results, but Crucial Genetics are able to turn tests around in 48 hours.
Their expertise in building DNA profiles of crime victims, which would otherwise be difficult to positively identify, has led to work with the authorities; one previous case involved a skeleton found in the River Clyde. Scientists at Crucial Genetics were also charged with the task of identifying victims of the continuing violence in Iraq. Sensitive work such as this for police and the military demands the highest standards, which the UKAS accreditation assures.
All DNA profiles constructed by Crucial Genetics are destroyed after six months.
Adam Middleton added: Building up DNA profiles is becoming increasingly useful, especially in cases where identification would otherwise be extremely difficult.
Its revolutionised the way crime investigations are carried out, and with this important accreditation were in a superb position to be able to use our skills to continue to grow the business.
Issued by the BIG partnership on behalf of Nexxus, The West of Scotland BioScience Network.
For further information or interviews contact: Bryan Garvie, the BIG partnership on
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