The Industrial Design Interdisciplinary R&D Team Led by Vice President ZHAO Chao Won the “Science and Technology Progress Awards of the Ministry of Public Security”
Recently, the "Research on the Key Technology of Forensic DNA On-site Rapid Inspection Micro Total Analysis System" project jointly reported by Tsinghua University, CapitalBio Technology Co., Ltd., and the Physical Evidence Identification Center of the Ministry of Public Security won the "First Prize of Science and Technology Progress Awards of the Ministry of Public Security ".
The system is the first of its kind, a "portable fully integrated chip system of rapid scene inspection for forensic DNA evidence" based on modular microfluidic technology, which can be used for car scene investigation and other multimodal scenarios of rapid forensic DNA detection, adding a powerful tool to the crime scene detection of China's Public Security Authority.
The "Science and Technology Awards of the Ministry of Public Security" is the highest honor of public security science and technology awards at the ministry level of China, which represents the highest level of China's public security science and technology. The objective of the awards is to commend organizations and individuals that have made creative and outstanding contributions to the progress and design innovation of public security science and technology.
Integrating the Advantages of Multidisciplinary Resources to Build the First Forensic DNA Profiling Tool in the World
Forensic DNA identification is an important technical tool for investigation and litigation, which includes DNA extraction, PCR amplification, electrophoresis detection and other aspects that require 6-8 hours of operation by professionals with different instruments in the laboratory. However, at present, there are frequent public security incidents, plus the goal of building a higher level of public security in China, the extant technologies and products have shown various deficiencies, such as time-consuming, too many steps, and high requirements for experimental sites.
To address the above needs and challenges, Professor ZHAO Chao, Vice President of Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University and Vice President of Tsinghua (Qingdao) Academy of Arts and Science Innovation Research, worked with LIU Peng, researcher of the School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, to form an interdisciplinary R&D team of Tsinghua University. Based on the advantages in biomedical engineering, industrial design and other disciplines, plus the implementation advantages of the Physical Evidence Identification Center of the Ministry of Public Security and CapitalBio Technology Co., Ltd., and after several years of design and research, the team has overcome a series of technical, design and technical difficulties such as miniaturization and standardized integration of each functional module of the micro total analysis system, and developed the first "portable fully integrated chip system of rapid scene inspection for forensic DNA evidence" based on the modular microfluidic system in the world.
The system has been designed to be used in vehicles for the rapid detection of scene forensic DNA, achieving the rapid detection mode of "sample in - results out" within 2 hours, significantly enhancing the capability of law enforcement agencies to maintain national and social security.
With the innovation in humanized scenario of industrial design and R&D capabilities in biomedical engineering technology, the system has been designed for the fully automated and humanized detection of DNA, blood samples and oral swabs, thus avoiding man-induced contamination, and reducing the technical and operational difficulties, and can be applied in laboratories, police stations, customs offices, airports, high-speed railway stations and scene investigation vehicles and other scenarios.
The multidisciplinary integration and innovation help the system to integrate the entire process of DNA testing in one, featured by its fast speed, automation, portable type, and low cost, and technicians can use it after quick training, facilitating the use of forensic DNA technologies from professional laboratories to the primary-level practitioners and the scenes. The system provides scientific and technological support for the prevention, investigation and management of public security events such as paternity testing, foreign-related terrorism prevention, and major cases/events.
The project has been granted 7 invention patents, 3 utility model patents, and published 26 papers. The project team has independently developed the key technologies and designs and localized the crucial equipment design and development through interdisciplinary collaboration and research, ensuring the independent and healthy development of major national science and technology R&D projects.
