Biography
Jack Ballantyne is a Professor of Chemistry and the Interim Director of the National Center for Forensic Science. He possesses a B.Sc. (with Honors) in Biochemistry from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, a M.Sc. in Forensic Science from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland and a PhD in Genetics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY. His current duties include teaching and conducting research in forensic molecular genetics.
Prior to entering academia, he was a casework forensic scientist in Scotland, Hong Kong and New York where he proffered expert testimony in the criminal courts of these jurisdictions. He was the full time DNA technical leader in Suffolk County, New York and then served as a part-time consultant DNA technical leader for the States of Mississippi and Delaware, the City of Dallas and Sedgwick County, Kansas. Inter alia, he served as the Chair of the New York State DNA Sub-committee and is a regular visiting guest at the FBI’s Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM)
His research group uses techniques and technologies of biochemistry, molecular biology and genomics to help forensic scientists retrieve more information from biological traces transferred during the commission of a crime. They take a problem-oriented practical problem approach to translational research. Currently his group’s main themes are (1) ACTIVITY, what happened? A crime scene DNA profile is recovered but what activity led to that finding? In other words, can we help provide context to the DNA profile. An example of this would whether it is possible to distinguish between innocuous consensual social intercourse versus criminal sexual intercourse. Biomarkers that distinguish saliva, skin, and vaginal secretions can be useful to distinguish these two possibilities. They have discovered such biomarkers, and they are RNA versus DNA based. In fact, they are intrigued by the potential applications of RNA in forensics and have helped establish the burgeoning field of RNA forensics. (2) SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS. They are continuously working on extending the post coital time interval from which genetic identifying information from the semen donor can be obtained and recovering more probative from sexual assault evidence. Their previous efforts resulted in a national policy change in extending the time of recovery of evidence from rape victims. (3) TRACE DNA ANALYSIS, specifically using single cell genomic analysis. Mixtures of biological material from two or more persons are often encountered in forensic samples and the resulting mixed DNA profiles are often difficult to interpret and de-convolute. The ability to recover and genetically analyze individual cells from the different contributors by physical manipulation promises to be an important addition to forensic scientists’ toolbox.
Publications
Selected Publications (since 2019)
2019 Predicting the origin of stains from whole miRNome massively parallel sequencing data. Dorum G., Ingold S., Hanson E., Ballantyne J., Russo G., Aluri S., Snipen L. and Haas C. For Sci Int Genet 40 131-139 (2019)
2019 Body fluid identification and assignment to donors using a targeted mRNA massively parallel sequencing approach – results of a second EUROFORGEN / EDNAP collaborative exercise. S. Ingold, G. Dørum, E. Hanson, D. Ballard, A. Berti, K.B. Gettings, F. Giangasparo, T, M.-L. Kampmann, F.-X. Laurent, N. Morling, W. Parson, C.R. Steffen, A. Ulus, M. van den Berge, K.J. van der Gaag, V. Verdoliva, C. Xavier, J. Ballantyne, C. Haas. For Sci Int Genet https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2019.102208 (2019)
2020 Assigning forensic body fluids to donors in mixed body fluids by targeted RNA/DNA deep sequencing of coding region SNPs. Ingold S, Dorum G, Hanson E, Ballantyne J and Haas C. Int J Legal Med https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020- 02252-w (2020)
2020 Identification of cadaveric liver tissues using thanatotranscriptome biomarkers. Javan G., Hanson E., Finley S., Visona S., Osculati A. and Ballantyne J. Nature Sci Rep 10:6639 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020 63727-9 (2020)
2021 Recovery of single source DNA profiles from mixtures by direct single cell subsampling and simplified micromanipulation. Huffman K, Hanson E and Ballantyne J. Sci Justice 61 13-25 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2020.10.005 (2021)
2021 Forensic transcriptome analysis using massively parallel sequencing. Hass C., Neubauer J., Salzmann A., Hanson E. and Ballantyne J. For Sci Int Genet 52 102486 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102486 (2021)
2022 Probabilistic genotyping of single cell replicates from complex DNA mixtures recovers higher contributor LRs than standard analysis. Huffman K, Hanson, E and Ballantyne J. Sci Justice 62 156-163 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scijus.2022.01.003 (2022)
2022 Cell subsampling recovers probative DNA profile information from unresolvable/undetectable minor donors in mixtures. Huffman K, Hanson, E and Ballantyne J. Genes 13, 1117. https://doi.org/10.3390/ genes13071117 (2022)
2022 Probabilistic genotyping of single cell replicates from mixtures involving first degree relatives prevents the false inclusions of non‐donor Relatives. Huffman, K and Ballantyne, J. Genes, 13, 1658. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes13091658 (2022)
2023 Y-STR mixture deconvolution by single-cell analysis. Huffman K, Hanson E, and Ballantyne J. J Forensic Sci. 68(1):275-288;00:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556- 4029.15150 (2023)
2023 Targeted S5 RNA Sequencing Assay for the Identification and Direct Association of Common Body Fluids with DNA Donors in Mixtures. Hanson E, Dørum G, Zamborlin M, Wang S, Gysi M, Ingold S, Lagace R, Roth C, Haas C and Ballantyne J. Int J Legal Med 137(1) 13-32 doi: 10.1007/s00414-022-02908-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36333511 (2023)
2023 Body Fluid Identification in Samples Collected after Intimate and Social Contact: A Comparison of Two mRNA Profiling Methods and the Additional Information Gained by cSNP Genotypes. Johannessen H, Hanson E, Gill P, Haas C, Bergseth EF, Ballantyne J, Fonneløp AE. Genes, 14, 636. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14030636 (2023)
2023 Validation of Probabilistic Genotyping Software for Single Cell STR Analysis. Huffman, K., Ballantyne, J. Genes, 14, 674. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14030674 (2023)
2023 Carrying out common DNA donor analysis using DBLR™ on two or five-cell mini-mixture subsamples for improved discrimination power in complex DNA mixtures. Huffman K, Kruijver M, Ballantyne J, Taylor D. For Sci Int Genet 66 102908, ISSN 1872-4973, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102908. (2023)
2023 Single cell genomics applications in forensic science: Current state and future directions. Huffman, K., Ballantyne, J. iScience, Volume 26, Issue 11, 107961, ISSN 2589-0042, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.107961. (2023)
2023 Interlaboratory Comparison of SpermX™ and Conventional Differential Extractions Indicated High Male DNA Recovery by the SpermX Method. Sgueglia J, Holt H, Hanson E, Nichols J, Kalafut T, Khan M-R, Walsh T, Foley M, Brown H, Ballantyne J and Sinha S. Forensic Sci. 3, 592-610. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci3040043 (2023)