Welcome
Ann MacPhetridge | Senior Global Commercialization Marketing Manager
Dear Scientists,
2021 continues to fly by quickly. In the Northern Hemisphere, Autumn is in full swing and the sun sets earlier each day. In the Southern Hemisphere, Spring is blooming, bringing wildflowers and the promise of brighter days. Sadly, we’re still immersed in the battle against COVID, as variants wreak havoc in numerous countries. On a plus side, the vaccination rates continue to increase, offering hope that the pandemic will lessen, and life might return to “normal”.
Forensic laboratories have spent the last six months getting back online and getting back to their testing routines. In the US, the International Symposium on Human Identification (ISHI) was held in Orlando Florida in mid-September. Nearly 500 forensic scientists met under strict safety guidelines to network, collaborate, and hear the latest advances in the field. I had the great pleasure of attending in person and must say it was truly delightful to see people in 3D vs on a computer screen as has been the norm for more than a year! While the masks covered their smiles, it was clear in the crinkling of eyes and the laughter ringing in the air that I was not the only one feeling joy at engaging with colleagues and friends in person!
In this issue we highlight the upcoming product from Promega, the PowerSeq™ Whole Mito System. Be sure to check out the poster shared at ISHI. Additionally, we share resources on processing Sexual Assault Evidence Kit samples. Our Resources page and the 4-part webinar series are terrific resources for any laboratory struggling to keep up with these challenging samples. We also share details on our ProDye chemistry, ideal for those laboratories doing Sanger Sequencing.
Thinking about automation for your lab? Be sure to check out the videos of our latest Maxprep forensic methods.
You won’t want to miss our article with Troubleshooting Tips by Rita Weispfenning, one of our Global Technical Support and Training team members. Rita shares her insight on how the right thermal cyclers and plasticware can be the difference between successful and failed STR runs.
One of our ISHI organizing team rockstars, Tara Luther, is in the Promega spotlight this issue. Tara shares her thoughts on what its like to be a dog mom to two furry characters, Max and Sully.
And as always, we have the latest information on upcoming meetings. Please feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you thought of this issue (ann.macphetridge@promega.com). Have an idea for a future article? Send me an email with your idea!
Enjoy reading and be well!
Ann MacPhetridge