BIOL3793 Biological Criminalistics

Professor Adrian Linacre

2016

4.5

12 x 50-minute lectures per semester
12 x 50-minute tutorials per semester
8 x 4-hour practicals per semester
4 x 3-hour field placements per semester

Skills and knowledge such as can be found in FACH2702

This topic will expose students to key areas of forensic biology and will include:

Body fluid testing including presumptive tests
Microscopy for spermatozoa and scoring to determine time of deposition
Blood pattern analysis including fluid dynamics, distances travelled, force applied, angle of impact, and crime scene reconstruction
Damage to clothing
Transfer of body fluids between two substrates
The integration of diverse evidence types

An introduction to probability theory and Bayes' Theorem will allow the students to consider integrated data, such as the presence of a particular blood pattern linked to a person by DNA typing, when comparing an allegation compared to a proposition put forward by the defence. The way in which these data are reported will be part of this topic. It will be presented by a combination of staff from Forensic Science SA, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Rape Crisis Centre and School of Biological Sciences.

The aim of this topic is to expose students to current practices in the investigation of forensic cases involving biological samples. These include sexual assaults, cell transfer, and persistence of trace evidence. Specifically this topic aims to give students:

A comprehensive knowledge of the various tests for bodily fluids, blood pattern analysis, transfer of body fluids, microscopic tests and damage to clothing
An understanding of the roles of different skilled persons in the processes of examination of alleged sexual assaults
An understanding of the use of probability theory and Bayes' Theorem to assist in the linking or elimination processes when interpreting forensic data
Hands-on training in the use of microscopy for spermatozoa and other biological specimens
Hands-on training in the investigation of damage to clothing

At the completion of the topic, students are expected to be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of the various tests for bodily fluids, blood pattern analysis, transfer of body fluids, microscopic tests and damage to clothing
Explain the various methods of analysis used for examination of biological specimens, including presumptive tests and microscopy
Integrate and link forensic data and test hypotheses by applying probability theory and Bayes' Theorem
Demonstrate that their results are statistically valid and fall within laboratory quality control requirements
Apply their knowledge in order to solve a range of complex forensic problems involving biological trace evidence

Key dates and timetable

Timetable details for 2016 are no longer published.

This information is from current details held on the Student Information System. Please report any errors or omissions to the relevant College Office.