Q.
What are the two principal indices in the Canadian National DNA Data Bank?
A.
• The Convicted Offender Index (COI) is the electronic index that has been developed from DNA profiles
collected from offenders convicted of designated primary and secondary offences identified in section 487.04
of the Criminal Code
• The Crime Scene Index (CSI) is a separate electronic index composed of DNA profiles obtained from crime
scene investigations of the same designated offences addressed in the Act.
Q.
Fentanyl patches are considered by the WHO as an essential medicine, why is their illegal use causing so
many deaths?
A.
Because fentanyl has a narrow therapeutic index (the difference between a therapeutic dose and a toxic
dose is not large) and mixing in fentanyl by illicit drug dealers is not accurate, either intentionally or
unintentionally.
Q.
What is the theory of chromatography based on?
A.
The theory of chromatography is based on the observation that chemical substances have a tendency to
partially escape into the surrounding environment when dissolved in a liquid or when absorbed on a solid
surface.
Q.
What do tests that assess blood origin use to determine the animal associated with the blood?
A.
The precipitin test uses antisera, normally derived from rabbits that have been injected with the blood of a
known animal, to determine the species origin of a questioned bloodstain.
Q.
Name an emergent fungal pathogen that is of concern due to its resistance to anti-fungal drugs and its
ability to be passed from one patient to another.
A.
Candida aureus
Q.
Why has Antibiotic resistance become a serious concern?
A.
Because it lowers or eliminates treatment options
Q.
State two reasons a terrorist may use a biological agent in an attack.
A.
Two of: Relatively easy to obtain, Relatively inexpensive to produce, store and transport, Difficult to detect,
Effect can be hours or days later; therefore, identifying the attacker is very difficult, May be spread via air,
water, food or a human being.
Q.
In microbial forensics one may investigate crimes using bacteria or viruses what is the difference in the
level of DNA variability in these two agents?
A.
Low variability in Bacteria, high variability in viruses
Q.
State two Non-DNA based methods used in microbial forensics investigations
A.
One of: Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis, Atomic force microscopy,
Raman spectroscopy and surface enhancement, Mass spectrometry including, bioaerosol time of-flight and
time-of-flight secondary ion, Nuclear Microscopy, Accelerator mass spectrometry.
