Summative Assessment:

1. COURSEWORK (2500 WORD EXTENDED PRACTICAL REPORT) – Extended practical report from one of the practicals undertaken during the laboratory sessions in the CHEMICAL area. You are required to fully report and interpret the results of your practical and answer an essay style question relating to a theoretical aspect associated with the topic of the practical (50% of module mark covering learning outcomes 1-4),

2. COURSEWORK (2500 WORD EXTENDED PRACTICAL REPORT) – Extended practical report undertaken during the laboratory sessions in the BIOLOGICAL area. You are required to fully report and interpret the results of your practical and answer an essay style question relating to a theoretical aspect associated with the topic of the practical (50% of module mark covering learning outcomes 1-4) – Final Assessment

Exercises will be set through the online facility on Blackboard in order to facilitate regular formative contact with the students.

Content taught through mixture of Blackboard VLE activities and laboratory attendance. This module will cover aspects of forensic biology and forensic chemistry, developing your depth of understanding of a variety of techniques and concepts.
Forensic Chemistry will focus on a variety of analytical techniques and will consider their suitability to and applications in, forensic science. Techniques covered will include; separative and chromatographic methods, spectroscopy, X-ray and electrochemical methods. Theoretical aspects are dealt with alongside practical to allow evaluation and appraisal of a specific technique.
Biological aspects will include topics ranging from the processing of recovered evidential samples, identification of body fluids and analysis of DNA samples. The processes involved in DNA recovery, extraction, quantification and analysis will be discussed, with specific reference to the current DNA profiling techniques used. Alternative types of DNA analysis, including mitochondrial DNA sequencing and Y-STR analysis will also be introduced. The statistical interpretation of DNA evidence will be covered, enabling an understanding of how DNA evidence is reported in a court of law. Additional topics that will be addressed are forensic entomology, blood pattern analysis and analysis of hair evidence.
The practical element will provide hands on experience of a wide range of analytical equipment encountered in forensic science. The main thrust is to provide experiments that allow comparison of techniques and methods. Examples of the type of experiment you might expect are: analysis of drugs to evaluate the potential of different chromatographic techniques, especially GC and HPLC, analysis of fire accelerants through the use of rapid GC (as a preliminary screening technique) then thermal desorption headspace analysis for analysis of a range of accelerants before and after the burning of materials to which the accelerant has been applied, analysis of barbiturates to compare and evaluate selectivity and sensitivity etc... of chromatographic methods with FTIR, analysis of environmental samples to allow comparison of a range of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques (especially in their application to speciation) analysis of explosives to evaluate a range of analytical techniques. Examination of biological evidence including garments and body fluids. Skills in the analysis of animal and human hairs as well as blood pattern interpretation will be developed. DNA analysis, from different evidence types such as hair, saliva, semen and blood, will be carried out, including all stages of recovery, extraction, amplification, SGM+ profiling and mtDNA sequencing.

Specialist laboratories

Rouessac, F & Rouessac, A (2007) Chemical Analysis: Modern Instrumentation Methods and Techniques Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Sussex
Gunn, A (2006) Essential Forensic Biology, John Wiley & Sons, Sussex
Journal of Chromatography A, Elsevier
Forensic Science International (Journal), Elsevier

Student must be registered on MSci Forensic Science

Theory: The module makes use of the Blackboard VLE environment to deliver the theoretical material. You will be required to undertake weekly, activities with either a chemical or biological focus as identified in the module handbook schedule of delivery. A variety of text and web sources will be used depending on the area being studied. You will need to spend at least 15h per week study time, with some dedicated times for answering on-line formative assessments and for taking part in online discussion through focussed group forums.

Practical: Normally the practical element will be delivered as 6 x full day blocks within the semester it is scheduled.

Content taught through mixture of Blackboard VLE activities and laboratory attendance. This module will cover aspects of forensic biology and forensic chemistry, developing your depth of understanding of a variety of techniques and concepts.
Forensic Chemistry will focus on a variety of analytical techniques and will consider their suitability to and applications in, forensic science. Techniques covered will include; separative and chromatographic methods, spectroscopy, X-ray and electrochemical methods. Theoretical aspects are dealt with alongside practical to allow evaluation and appraisal of a specific technique.
Biological aspects will include topics ranging from the processing of recovered evidential samples, identification of body fluids and analysis of DNA samples. The processes involved in DNA recovery, extraction, quantification and analysis will be discussed, with specific reference to the current DNA profiling techniques used. Alternative types of DNA analysis, including mitochondrial DNA sequencing and Y-STR analysis will also be introduced. The statistical interpretation of DNA evidence will be covered, enabling an understanding of how DNA evidence is reported in a court of law. Additional topics that will be addressed are forensic entomology, blood pattern analysis and analysis of hair evidence.
The practical element will provide hands on experience of a wide range of analytical equipment encountered in forensic science. The main thrust is to provide experiments that allow comparison of techniques and methods. Examples of the type of experiment you might expect are: analysis of drugs to evaluate the potential of different chromatographic techniques, especially GC and HPLC, analysis of fire accelerants through the use of rapid GC (as a preliminary screening technique) then thermal desorption headspace analysis for analysis of a range of accelerants before and after the burning of materials to which the accelerant has been applied, analysis of barbiturates to compare and evaluate selectivity and sensitivity etc... of chromatographic methods with FTIR, analysis of environmental samples to allow comparison of a range of spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques (especially in their application to speciation) analysis of explosives to evaluate a range of analytical techniques. Examination of biological evidence including garments and body fluids. Skills in the analysis of animal and human hairs as well as blood pattern interpretation will be developed. DNA analysis, from different evidence types such as hair, saliva, semen and blood, will be carried out, including all stages of recovery, extraction, amplification, SGM+ profiling and mtDNA sequencing.