Dissertation (in progress) title: Physical and Biochemical Factors Affecting the Recovery and Analysis of DNA from Human Skeletal Remains. This project includes investigating routine laboratory processing of human bone and the resulting quantity and quality of recovered DNA from extraction, and experimentally modeling environmental transfer of metal ions in soil with the mineral component of human bone, using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to quantify co-extracted metals in recovered DNA, and the correlation between metal levels and with the resulting quantity and quality of DNA recovered after extraction.
Laura Gaydosh Combs
Forensic Scientist at New Mexico Department of Public Safety