ISI complete Matla and Matimba upgrade - and take on a world-first

September 2001 System Integration & Control Systems Design

Industrial Systems Integrators has succeeded in upgrading the Matla power station outside water plant, the Majuba power station simulator and the Matimba power station precipitators, all to Citect in the last 12 months.

Perhaps of even more interest is the R8m 'fully automated DNA lab project' that it is doing for the SA Police in their fight against rape. It is claimed to be the world's first fully automated forensic genetic processing system. Off-the-shelf equipment being used includes: genetic analyser, Peltier thermal cycler, two automated laboratory plate sealers, three robotic liquid handling workstations. The remainder of the systems' analysis equipment is being designed and custom-built for the application.

Fail-safe sample tracking and control systems will follow the location of every DNA sample from submission to storage while recording whatever happens to the sample - effectively serving as a complete audit trail for all DNA samples from beginning to end. It logs lot numbers of reagents used, identifies the instrumentation used, records dates, time and process conditions. It is an inventory system that provides quality assurance.

The Marshal system managing the reference index (RI) of the SAP Service's DNA Criminal Intelligence Database (DCID) will be up and running on 28 November 2001. This will constitute the first phase of automation at the SAPS FSL Biology Unit. Future developments will deal with the automation of the DCID's crime index (CI). The CI will deal with evidence recovered from crime scenes, eg body fluids (blood, semen, saliva, etc), human tissue (body parts, skeletal remains, hair, etc).

Future use of the Marshal system need not be limited to forensic work - it also has possibilities in fields such as the study of hereditary diseases, veterinary identification of stock, determination of pedigree, and others.

Industrial Systems Integrators

(011) 704 3080

wilhelms@isi.co.za

www.isi.co.za

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