FBI installs 'CODIS' software at city-based CDFD

US Investigation agency FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) has installed a key software 'CODIS' at the city-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), which will be extremely useful for matching of DNA profiles of victims of large-scale disasters, with better analysis.
This is the first time that the 'CODIS' (Combined DNA Index System) software is being made available to any agency in India, CDFD officials said today.
CODIS software, which has been installed in nearly 60 countries, is extremely useful for comparisons to be made between hundreds or thousands of DNA profiles, they said, citing examples, like in identification of victims of mass disasters or in matching of crime scene profiles with those stored in a computer database.

CDFD is also using the CODIS software for the DNA profiling-based identification of disaster victims of the flash floods in Uttarakhand during 2013.
The software 'CODIS' utilises STR and mtDNA information as well as meta-data (such as sex, data of last sighting, age, etc) to help in the identification of missing persons, they said.
The CODIS also uses additional DNA technologies such as Y-Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) and mini-Short Tandem Repeat (miniSTR), they explained.

The installation of the software has been completed at CDFD and the training on its usage is underway at an Instructor-led training programme for the DNA examiners in CDFD by experts from the US, deputed by the FBI.

US Consul General (in Hyderabad) Michael Mullins presided as the chief guest today at the valedictory session of the joint activity undertaken by the CDFD-FBI on CODIS training for human DNA profiling.
CDFD and FBI had signed a Letter of Agreement in September last year for the FBI to provide CDFD its CODIS software for human DNA profiling activities.