Pure Gold Forensics Inc. (PGF), a state-of-the-art forensic DNA testing facility has recently received accreditation by the American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) to the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Standards and the F.B.I. Quality Assurance Standards (QAS) for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories.
PGF is now the only private forensic DNA laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and F.B.I. Quality Assurance Standards in California south of the San Francisco Bay Area. “Being accredited allows us to provide government crime laboratories, attorneys, and law enforcement agencies with top tier, specialized DNA testing services” stated Theron Vines, PGF President and Owner. “With faster turnaround times than most public crime laboratories, PGF can provide investigators quick and efficient results to their cases”, Mr. Vines added.
All accredited forensic DNA testing laboratories use the ISO/IEC 17025 quality system. Achieving accreditation means that the lab’s quality system is continuously monitored, and improved when needed, to ensure the integrity, accuracy, and reliability of the results. Forensic laboratories, such as PGF, that are audited against both F.B.I. QAS and ISO/IEC 17025 Standards have the unique ability to serve a growing demand. “With a growing DNA backlog throughout the United States, we saw a need for efficient, accurate forensic DNA testing that meets ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and F.B.I QAS standards. We strive to increase our lab’s sophistication and our team’s certifications to meet this growing demand”, said Suzanna Ryan, PGF Laboratory Director.
Mr. Vines is an Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), an Associate Member of the California Association of Criminalists (CAC) and an Expert Member the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ). The increased expectations of DNA technology and a continued push for more samples to be tested inspired Mr. Vines to start Pure Gold Forensics to assist the justice system by providing faster turnaround times and more accurate results for DNA testing.
Suzanna Ryan, PGF Laboratory Director, is a forensic serology and DNA expert who has over 20-years of experience as both a forensic DNA analyst and a forensic DNA consultant. She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the California Association of Criminalists and is certified as a Diplomate in Molecular Biology by the American Board of Criminalistics.
PGF has a combined 30+ years of experience in the field of forensic DNA analysis.