RAPID DNA INFO
1-hour gene match
Meet the newest (probationary) member of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner: a cooler-sized gizmo called ANDE, which the agency says will turbocharge the process of identifying John and Jane Does, providing closure for families.
The ANDE Rapid DNA system (pictured), which is still being tested, can match a missing person to a DNA profile in about an hour, as opposed to the several days it normally takes, OCME officials told The Post during an exclusive sneak peek.
“[Families] should not have to wait a length of time to have their loved ones returned to them,” said Mark Desire, OCME assistant director for forensic biology.
“That’s our job: to provide answers, to return their loved ones,” Desire continued.
“So the idea is, everything is done on one machine. Instead of multiple machines taking hours and hours or days and days, we can do this in about an hour.”
With the device, the OCME can scan a unidentified victim’s remains and then compare the genetic code to control DNA samples. In some cases, investi- gators can use personal items belonging to the missing person, such as a toothbrush or hat; in other situations, they’ll take a relative’s saliva sample for the control group.
Either way, the process is vastly quicker with “rapid DNA” devices such as ANDE — which means that grieving relatives no longer have to agonize for days or weeks as they await an answer from the DNA lab, according to Desire.
The device can also boost accuracy, because DNA begins to degrade in as little as 72 hours as it’s transported to labs, according to a company spokeswoman.
The OCME expects to spend another month testing the device before deploying it in the field.
If the technology makes the cut, the OCME will be the first such office in the nation to use such a device. It was only recently approved by the FBI for lawenforcement use.
The device will not play a role in the ongoing effort to identify remains from the 9/11 terror attacks because after 17 years, the remains are too old, but it could help in future mass casualties, according to the OCME.