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GCN Home > 08/28/06 issue

NIH app helps Louisiana identify Katrina’s victims

OSIRIS examines DNA data, improves profile matching

By Mary Mosquera, GCN Staff

Authorities in Louisiana are still trying to identify some of the bodies—unclaimed for a year and beyond sight recognition—recovered after the floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina receded.

But state police have been making progress, with help from a group of scientists from the National Institutes of Health’s genetics and bio-informatics community in using DNA to help with identification.

Through DNA, Louisiana has identified 153 people. About 35 remains still need to be identified. They are among the 1,200 people who lost their lives in Louisiana and Mississippi from the hurricane and subsequent floods a year ago.

NIH provided software and scientists from its National Human Genome Research Institute and the National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information.

The agency is applying quality-assessment software, called OSIRIS, developed based on experience working with DNA profiles from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Stephen Sherry, staff scientist at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Sherry is responsible for the OSIRIS development project being used with the hurricane DNA identification program. It’s the first time NIH has used the software on such a large scale.

“When the state was waiting to get funding [from the Federal Emergency Management Agency], NIH was instrumental in moving the hurricane DNA identification program forward and assisted by providing software for the tracking of [DNA] sample collections,” said Captain Jerry Patrick, director of the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory in Baton Rouge.

OSIRIS looks for artifacts and other problems in DNA profile data stored in a genetic data management system, which assists in scheduling DNA collections and organizing a family tree with DNA profiles of family members.

Family members of missing persons provided swabs of their cheeks for DNA typing, while scientists took DNA or bone samples from deceased individuals. Lab results were plugged into the management software.

Accurate identifications by DNA typing depend on quality assurance testing of the profiles, Sherry said.

“Every asserted fact that goes into an analysis has to be checked that it is right,” Sherry said.

More news on related topics: Authentication / Identity Management, Management, IT Management, State & Local



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