Orchid BioSciences, Inc. announced that its Orchid Cellmark unit is the first private U.S. laboratory to license Cybergenetics' TrueAllele software for forensics applications. This pioneering technology uses proprietary computational methods to fully automate routine DNA analysis, replacing the slow and costly manual scoring that represents a substantial portion of the cost of analyzing DNA data for criminal databases.

"Automating our DNA databasing operations is consistent with Orchid Cellmark's history of technology leadership in DNA forensics," said Mark D. Stolorow, executive director of Orchid Cellmark. "We expect the TrueAllele technology to play a major role in boosting our productivity, which will be particularly valuable as we ramp up to service new DNA databasing contracts made possible by funds now being released by the National Institute of Justice. We look forward to acceptance of this technology by the law enforcement agencies we serve in order to accelerate our output and improve our costs."

Federal and state DNA databases are playing an increasingly important role in helping police apprehend criminals by matching DNA from crime scene evidence to a database of known offenders.

"It is fitting that Orchid Cellmark, a long-time leader in DNA forensics, is the first private U.S. licensee of our TrueAllele forensics technology," said Dr. Mark Perlin, chief executive officer of Cybergenetics. "TrueAllele uses accurate computerized intelligent systems to greatly reduce the time, cost and tedium of manually reviewing forensic data."

Conventional DNA data editing is a labor-intensive task that requires human review of every genotype and involves significant time and expense. Cybergenetics TrueAllele software is an automated expert system that performs approximately 90 per cent of this routine data review rapidly, cost-effectively and with a high degree of accuracy, enabling technical staff to focus on the small number of problematic samples. The TrueAllele technology is protected by U.S. patents 5,541,067, 5,580,728, 5,876,933, and 6,054,268.

Financial details of the license were not disclosed.

Orchid Cellmark, the forensic strategic business unit of Orchid BioSciences, Inc., has been a leader in private forensic DNA analysis since 1987. Orchid Cellmark has an international network of forensic testing laboratories in the U.S. and U.K., making it the largest private DNA forensic testing service provider in the world. Orchid Cellmark provides a full range of high quality, customized forensic DNA testing services, including identification of victims of accidents and disasters, criminal casework analysis and expert testimony, convicted offender DNA databasing, no-suspect casework testing for government law enforcement laboratories, and DNA testing and consultative services for the defense bar as well as for the prosecution.