The following free online resources are relevant to students studying Forensic Science.
Bioservers (Opens in New Tab)This site contains user-friendly tools to launch DNA database searches, statistical analyses, and population modeling from a centralized workspace. Educational databases support investigations of an Alu insertion polymorphism on human chromosome 16 and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human mitochondrial control region.
ENCODE (Opens in New Tab)The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Consortium is an international collaboration of research groups funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The goal of ENCODE is to build a comprehensive parts list of functional elements in the human genome, including elements that act at the protein and RNA levels, and regulatory elements that control cells and circumstances in which a gene is active.
GenBank - NIH (Opens in New Tab)GenBank ® is the NIH genetic sequence database, an annotated collection of all publicly available DNA sequences (Nucleic Acids Research, 2013 Jan;41(D1):D36-42). GenBank is part of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration, which comprises the DNA DataBank of Japan (DDBJ), the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA), and GenBank at NCBI. These three organizations exchange data on a daily basis.
Human Genome Project (Opens in New Tab)Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institutes of Health. During the early years of the HGP, the Wellcome Trust (U.K.) became a major partner; additional contributions came from Japan, France, Germany, China, and others. This website details HGP history.
Office of Justice Programs - Forensic Sciences (Opens in New Tab)Through various funding opportunities, research, and more, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is working to provide critical information and resources to forensics personnel and to support programs and activities.
Simplified Guide to Forensic Science - Interactive (Opens in New Tab)All or some of the projects listed were fully or partially funded through grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, and/or the US Dept. of Justice. Neither the US Dept. of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).
Visible Proofs: Forensic Views of the Body (Opens in New Tab)This U.S. National Library of Medicine website reviews the history of forensic medicine. The “Exhibition” area covers “emerging technologies of forensic surveillance in the late 19th century and also …recent innovations in the field,” including “medical illustrations from the period. The Galleries section presents another treasure trove of material, including detailed examinations of famous early forensics cases”. (ISP)
Zeno's Forensic SiteThis site provides information on forensic science, forensic psychiatry and other aspects of forensic evidence.
