NIST Standard Reference Materials to Aid Human Identity Testing Applications
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
ensures exact and compatible measurements through the generation,
certification, and issuance of Standard Reference Materials
(SRMs). The FBI Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing
Laboratories, initially issued by the DNA Advisory Board in October 1998, state that "The
laboratory shall check its DNA procedures annually or whenever substantial
changes are made to the protocol(s) against an appropriate and available NIST
standard reference material or standard traceable to a NIST standards" (Standard
9.5). The primary NIST SRM used for this purpose is SRM 2391c, which contains certified allele calls for the 13 CODIS (Combined DNA
Index System) STR loci.
Please contact Becky Steffen (301-975-4275;
becky.steffen@nist.gov) if you have any questions.