IEDs are explosive devices used for non-military purposes, in terroristic acts and other criminal offences.  These devices can be manufactured by laypersons using components that are easily accessible and instructions that can be found on the internet.

Developing a DNA profile from an improvised explosive device (IED) may provide an investigative lead to assist with addressing who might be responsible for assembling or transporting a device.  
Starting in 2018, the Centre of Forensic Sciences, Biology Section initiated a pilot project to expand the acceptance of relevant items for DNA testing in cases involving IEDs, including samples from components of these devices that might contain associative DNA.  

In addition to the expectation of recovering only low levels of associative DNA from device components, there are also the potential challenges of DNA loss and degradation anticipated in incidents involving IEDs, particularly if they have been rendered-safe or detonated. While most of the existing published research around DNA recovery from IEDs relates to devices developed and tested within a controlled/laboratory environment, there is limited information published relating to the collection of DNA and autosomal STR DNA testing results from real-world casework.

Within the Biology Section at the CFS, DNA testing has been conducted on a variety of IED components, including samples collected from intact devices, devices that have been subjected to render-safe procedures and samples collected post-blast.  We have conducted DNA testing in 59 cases from within Ontario and our results have demonstrated that successfully generating DNA profiles suitable for comparison is not only possible, but occurs more frequently with some item types than with others, while the condition of the device itself (intact versus rendered-safe versus post-blast) appears to have a less significant impact on the testing outcome.  

A review of the types of items that have been accepted for testing, and our observations regarding the most useful items to target for DNA collection based on our results to date, will be discussed here.  We will also examine the impact of item condition on our ability to recover sufficient DNA for testing and develop DNA profiles suitable for interpretation and potentially suitable for upload to the National DNA Databank.

Authors

• Joanne Cox (Centre of Forensic Sciences, Canada)
• Aiyana Roberts (Ontario Tech University, Canada)
• Alexandra Salvati (Centre of Forensic Sciences, Canada)
• Stacey Sainte-Marie (Ontario Tech University, Canada)
• Sobia Malik (Centre of Forensic Sciences, Canada)
• Sonja Stadler (Centre of Forensic Sciences, Canada)
• Kimberly Nugent (Ontario Tech University, Canada)
• Jonathan Millman (Centre of Forensic Sciences, Canada)