QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) and DNA Labs
International announced today that DLI has recently solved two
decades-old “cold cases” using QIAGEN solutions.
The products involved are ForenSeq Kintelligence
System for forensic genetic genealogy, in conjunction with the
GEDmatch database, highlighting the effectiveness and growing
adoption of this new approach to human identification.
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In Oregon, a longstanding case was solved with DLI’s assistance by
identifying the previously unidentified remains of Tanice “Tana”
Laatch, which were found in 2005. Despite extensive efforts, the
identity remained unknown until the Oregon State Police Medical
Examiner submitted skeletal remains to DLI. By utilizing QIAGEN’s
ForenSeq Kintelligence Kit for forensic investigative genetic
genealogy (FIGG) to sequence targeted DNA regions, a profile
suitable for genealogy research was produced. The identification of
the human remains was completed after this profile was uploaded to
the GEDmatch database, a law enforcement-dedicated portal for DNA
comparison and genealogy analysis.
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In Georgia, a 51-year-old criminal investigation involving the
abduction, rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl was solved
through the collaboration of DLI with the Cobb County District
Attorney’s Office. A significant breakthrough was achieved when DLI
used the ForenSeq Kintelligence System to create a “SNP” profile
from a DNA sample retrieved from the crime scene. (A SNP profile is
a distinctive genetic fingerprint based on single nucleotide
polymorphisms, which represent variations in DNA building blocks
and can be utilized for identification and ancestry analysis.) This
profile enabled the identification of distant relatives in
GEDmatch, ultimately pointing to the potential suspect.
Rachel Oefelein, Chief Scientific Officer at DNA
Labs International, stated: “Our mission at DNA Labs International
is to help law enforcement provide justice and answers to the
families and victims of crime. This case had challenging samples
due to the passage of time that led to extreme degradation, the
breaking apart of the DNA. These degradation difficulties made
previous testing unsuccessful with other technologies. DNA Labs
International was able to use the ForenSeq Kintelligence system
because it can handle degradation, which ultimately led to the
identification of the suspect. This same technology can be used on
current cases today to prevent them from going cold.”
“The technological advancement in forensic
genetic genealogy has helped us obtain a concrete resolution to a
crime that would otherwise not be solved. In this case, it has
removed any doubts on the identity of the perpetrator, helping us
provide some long-awaited answers to this family. This development
has proven to be an essential component of the modern criminal
justice system,“ said Flynn Broady, Jr., District Attorney, Cobb
Judicial Circuit in Georgia.
“QIAGEN is proud to offer comprehensive Sample
to Insight solutions in human identification, providing an
end-to-end approach from crime scene evidence recovery to courtroom
presentation. Our solutions for DNA purification, sequencing, and
investigative lead generation are designed to handle even the most
challenging samples,” said Richard Price, Vice President and head
of the HID and Forensics business at QIAGEN. “We are honored to
collaborate with partners like DNA Labs International, who expertly
leverage our workflow to work with authorities to deliver justice
for victims of crime and their families.”
DLI has used forensic genetic genealogy to help
solve many other cases. Their first successful case with ForenSeq
Kintelligence was the identification of the previously unidentified
remains of Kenneth W. Heasley from a molar that had been found 22
years after he had gone missing.
ForenSeq Kintelligence is the only
sequencing-based assay designed for FIGG, combining a streamlined
workflow for efficient assessment of forensically relevant SNPs
with a curated set of 10,230 SNP markers explicitly chosen for
extended kinship outcomes. This innovative technology complies with
the highest privacy standards by excluding medically informative
and minor allele frequency SNPs found in whole-genome sequencing
(WGS) or array-based workflows.
QIAGEN is dedicated to providing cost-effective
next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows that surpass traditional
methods in performance. These workflows leverage high-throughput
capabilities, allowing for simultaneous analysis of multiple
genetic regions and achieving higher resolution. This ultimately
results in increased accuracy and efficiency of identification
while offering unparalleled genetic insights.
QIAGEN has a leading position in the human
identification and forensics market, having pioneered the
introduction of commercial DNA purification kits for forensic
casework samples in the late 1990s. Today, QIAGEN offers a
comprehensive portfolio of solutions for processing sexual assault
samples, identifying missing persons, age estimation and tissue
identification, anthropology research, and kinship testing.
In 2023, QIAGEN expanded its range of downstream
NGS-based forensic products with the acquisition of Verogen, a
leader in the use of NGS technologies, to further drive the future
of human identification and forensic investigation. QIAGEN now
provides sequencing and bioinformatics solutions, as well as a
genealogy database, offering the most complete portfolio in the
human identification and forensics market.
More information on QIAGEN’s solutions for human
identification can be found here:
https://www.qiagen.com/de/applications/human-identity-and-forensics
About DNA Labs International
Since 2004, DNA Labs International has been
providing clients with exceptional quality service based on open
communications, equal attention to the importance of every case,
and accurate and reliable results every time. They provide the
latest technology available to solve cases, such as Forensic
Genetic Genealogy, SpentShell™ for fired cartridge casings, the
M-VAC®, a wet vacuum DNA collection tool, and STRmix®, a software
program that can solve previously inconclusive DNA results. DNA
Labs International was the first ISO 17025:2017, and FBI QAS
accredited forensic laboratory processing Forensic Genetic
Genealogy cases from start to finish.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding
company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight
solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights
from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our sample
technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood,
tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make these
biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics
software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant,
actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in
seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN provides solutions to
more than 500,000 customers around the world in Molecular
Diagnostics (human healthcare) and Life Sciences (academia, pharma
R&D and industrial applications, primarily forensics). As of
September 30, 2023, QIAGEN employed more than 6,000 people in
over 35 locations worldwide. Further information can be found at
http://www.qiagen.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this press
release may be considered forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements
contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, including those
products used in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, timing for
launch and development, marketing and/or regulatory approvals,
financial and operational outlook, growth and expansion,
collaborations, markets, strategy or operating results, including
without limitation its expected adjusted net sales and adjusted
diluted earnings results, are forward-looking, such statements are
based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number
of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include,
but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth
and international operations (including the effects of currency
fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics),
variability of operating results and allocations between customer
classes, the commercial development of markets for our products to
customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular
diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and
strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in
technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products
(including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the
level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors);
our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products;
difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to
integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of
QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate
and protect our products from competitors' products; market
acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired
technologies and businesses; actions of governments, global or
regional economic developments, weather or transportation delays,
natural disasters, political or public health crises, including the
breadth and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the
demand for our products and other aspects of our business, or other
force majeure events; as well as the possibility that expected
benefits related to recent or pending acquisitions may not
materialize as expected; and the other factors discussed under the
heading “Risk Factors” contained in Item 3 of our most recent
Annual Report on Form 20-F. For further information, please refer
to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or
furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: QIAGEN N.V.Category: Corporate
John Gilardi
QIAGEN N.V.
+49 2103 29 11711
ir@qiagen.com
Phoebe Loh
QIAGEN N.V.
+49 2103 29 11457
ir@qiagen.com
Thomas Theuringer
QIAGEN N.V.
+49 2103 29 11826
pr@qiagen.com
Daniela Berheide
QIAGEN N.V.
+49 2103 29 11676
pr@qiagen.com
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