NIST: reference material RM 8043 for forensic laboratories — the first to include degraded DNA and mixtures from two and three people
On 17 February 2026 the US NIST announced the reference material RM 8043 Forensic DNA Resource Samples. It lets crime laboratories check whether their methods give correct results for degraded samples and DNA mixtures, train analysts and validate tests.
- The set consists of eight vials of about 180 µL of human genomic DNA solution from anonymous donors who consented to its use: according to NIST, six vials contain high-quality DNA from single individuals or mixtures of two or three people, and two contain DNA from two of those individuals degraded in a controlled way by ultraviolet irradiation.
- The information sheet gives non-certified concentration values of 2.3 to 5.2 ng/µL, assigned by digital PCR (dPCR) with a Bayesian model, and autosomal STR and Y-STR genotypes determined with three commercial kits with concordant results. The values are valid until 1 October 2031; the material is intended for validation, optimisation and process evaluation in PCR- and qPCR-based testing.
- A test typically needs about 0.5–1 ng of DNA, while a vial holds close to 900 ng, so the samples can be used repeatedly — also as a training set. Before the December release NIST distributed them to about 100 forensic laboratories, which confirmed their usefulness.
- NIST points out that ever more sensitive techniques mean laboratories analyse more degraded samples and mixtures, which are harder to interpret, whereas earlier materials contained pristine DNA and mixtures of at most two people. A usage and privacy agreement accompanies the material because the donors’ genetic profiles are identifiable information.
Source: NIST — NIST Releases New Forensic Genetic Reference Material to Help Crime Labs (17.02.2026)