Forensic Services

Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) analysis

Cellmark has been involved in numerous DVI incidents both within the UK and overseas, including being selected as the sole UK DNA analysis provider for the DVI response to the Asian tsunami of Boxing Day 2004.

Following a mass fatality such as a natural disaster, aeroplane crash or hostile activity during a war there can be a requirement to identify those that have died and/or to reconcile body parts back to specific individuals wherever possible.

Cellmark has extensive experience of working with mortuaries and advising pathologists about the sampling of DNA for DVI purposes. Our laboratory analysis techniques have been tailored to deal effectively with the challenging samples often recovered for DVI, including techniques for the rapid analysis of degraded tissue, bones and teeth. We achieve high levels of success, including analysis on bones dating back 50 years.

Cellmark has been active in the development of international DVI protocols and advising agencies on the collection and storage of DNA samples for DVI purposes. Cellmark is accredited for the use of a wide range of DNA profiling systems which enables close collaboration with laboratories from other countries in the analysis of samples.