Bioinformation company interacts with crime labs for online training, videoconferencing and assisting in the scientific examination of crime scene evidence
PITTSBURGH, PA – March 19, 2018 – Comcast Business today announced that Cybergenetics, a bioinformation company, relies on Comcast Business internet services for its analysts to analyze complex forensic evidence. Crime labs around the country work with Cybergenetics to eliminate DNA evidence backlogs, especially in instances where there is more than one person’s DNA sample on a specific piece of evidence.
Founded in 1994, Cybergenetics originally focused on genetics technology to automate the interpretation of DNA data for medical diagnosis and gene discovery. Five years later, it transitioned into forensic analysis where its flagship technology, TrueAllele®, now resolves complex forensic evidence by providing accurate and objective DNA match statistics.
Crime labs across the country use the technology and work with Cybergenetics’ analysts to process evidence that is a mix of two or more DNA samples. The outcomes are used during court trials, in cold cases and to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals. The team relies on the internet to access real-time information on its cloud servers during court appearances and to bring technology trainings to crime technicians.
“More and more of our data processing is occurring on cloud-based servers which allow our analysts to access data remotely for real-time updates while testifying and to share information on their devices,” said Dr. Mark Perlin, chief scientific and executive officer at Cybergenetics. “In fact, when we recently asked our staff which was more important – internet or running water – the answer was overwhelmingly that internet was more critical, especially for our work.”
Cybergenetics uses a 100 Megabits-per-second Comcast Business Internet line allowing employees to quickly access data in the cloud and Comcast Business Voice for phone-based communications. As a result, Cybergenetics analysts can conduct remote videoconferencing sessions, lead online courses and webinars, interact with crime labs remotely through screen-sharing and provide customer support.
“Our team works on 100 cases a year on average where we liaise with crime labs, prosecutors, defendants and other organizations, especially where initial DNA testing results came back as inconclusive. Our technology requires reliable internet for uploading data to our servers, analyzing it and then presenting the results in court. The data has led to the exoneration of individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned, identified victim remains such as in the World Trade Center disaster and discovered the perpetrators of various crimes. Without Comcast Business high-performance internet, we wouldn’t be able to operate,” Dr. Perlin added.
“Cybergenetics’ TrueAllele® technology improves our judicial system by accurately, objectively and rapidly analyzing DNA evidence from crime scenes. By providing the company with efficient and reliable services that allow forensic scientists to interpret and share these results, Comcast Business assists Cybergenetics in having a profound impact on the cases they work,” said Toni Murphy, Comcast Business vice president for the Keystone Region.
