5thEuropeanIABPAconferenceFinal programm

The 5 th European
Internaonal Associaon
of Bloodstain Paern Analysts
(IABPA) Conference
Rome 2015
Research studies on DNA and
presumptive test interaction.
Alessio Ferrara – Carabinieri RIS Parma
Abstract
Our aim is to evaluate a new possible
approach to the analysis of crime
scenes with a lot of blood traces. Combur
Test® is one of the most used presumptive
test for the first screening of
blood sample in crime scene based on
the 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine reaction.
For this reason we evaluated the
inhibition in the extraction of DNA due
to 3,3’,5,5’-tetramethylbenzidine. We
used our validated internal method that
is an automated process based on Qiagen
magnetic bead chemistry. Five
different dilutions of blood from 1:5 to
1:80 were spotted on denim and then
processed. All the bloodstains spotted
were firstly swabbed with Copan®
swabs and then with Combur Test®
strip for a comparison. We obtained an
high ratio of full profile from the DNA
extracted from both sampling methods.
We also observed an increased level of
stochastic events in blood traces with
high dilutions. Analysis of crime scenes
could be difficult in testing and collecting
bloodstain when we have to face
very small traces. In particular, when
we have to manage a crime scene reconstruction
using bloodstain pattern
analysis. In this case results that could
be useful to collect and analyzed the
Combur Test® strip instead to collect
the entire evidence.
Biography
Alessio Ferrara was born on 16th August 1980
in Turin, Italy. At the age of 25, he graduated
in biology bachelor, then he started his career
in the Military Italian Navy. In November 2007
he switched to Carabinieri Corp with the rank of
agent. In August 2009 he graduated in forensic
bachelor and became warrant officer. From
September 2009 to October 2011 he worked as
patrol warrant officer. In October 2011 he was
employed as biologist forensic laboratory analyst
in the Carabinieri Corp Forensic Department
of Parma where he is actually working
and daily deals with many casework, for the
biology aspect, from burglaries to homicides
and several crime scene reconstruction/BPA;
meanwhile he passed the State exam for the
biologist profession and profitably attended the
workshop of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis on
march 2013 at the Miami – Dade Public and
Safety Training Institute and the course of
Bloodstain Pattern Analysis II on April 2014 at
the Louisiana State Police Public Safety Institute.
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