The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education

?? Exciting things are happening in forensic science! The Center for Forensic Science Research & Education (CFSRE) and Thomas Jefferson University have joined forces to offer a cutting-edge Master’s program in Forensic Biology. This week, students are putting their knowledge to the test during their laboratory-based final exam, demonstrating the hands-on skills they’ve developed throughout the program. Interested in learning more about this innovative program and how it prepares the next generation of forensic scientists? Click the link to explore! https://ow.ly/Ub0I50Vo8Uy

Join us for the What’s Trending: NPS Discovery Webinar Series - April 2025 Live Webinar WHEN: Thursday, April 10th from 11:00am - 12:30pm ET CFSRE’s NPS Discovery is an open-access drug early warning system (EWS) operating in the United States. NPS Discovery’s evidence-based approach leads the development of high impact reports for real-time action. We are working in collaboration with public health and public safety agencies to rapidly identify emerging drugs associated with intoxications, adverse events, and fatalities. Register: https://ow.ly/H8rB50Volfg

We only have a few spots left for the CFSRE's two summer internship programs! The internship program is designed to provide students and recent graduates with an opportunity to receive hands-on learning by performing mock casework and validation studies. This includes experience working under chain of custody, data analysis, report writing, and testimony. Our internship helps develop the laboratory, management, and communication skills needed to prepare students for a career in forensic science. Apply Today: https://lnkd.in/eYA62whp

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming students from the Academies at Roxborough – The School District of Philadelphia to our state-of-the-art laboratory in Horsham. These students arrived well-prepared, having completed Forensics on the Fly, a five-week, in-class modular program that combined lectures with hands-on experiments to introduce key concepts in forensic biology, chemistry, and toxicology. Equipped with the foundational skills and knowledge gained from the program, they applied their expertise to solve a mock forensic case using professional-grade instrumentation and techniques. This invaluable learning experience was made possible through the generous support of our EITC funders—NMS Labs, Hatboro Federal Savings, and Fulton Bank—allowing us to offer the program at no cost to the students. We are grateful for their commitment to fostering STEM education and inspiring the next generation of forensic scientists.

New Publication! The article "An Outbreak of Synthetic Cannabinoid-Adulterated Tianeptine Products in New Jersey – Case Series", published in the Journal of Medical Toxicology, highlights a dangerous spike in tianeptine poisonings. NJ reported 34 cases linked to Neptune’s Fix, a product sold online and in gas stations—jumping from an average of 0.5 cases per year to 4.6 cases per month. Read more here: https://ow.ly/5fCh50Vmq4P

?? Congratulations to Dr. Mirna Ghemrawi and the research team on their latest publication in Forensic Science International: Genetics! Their study, "Forensic Insights from Shotgun Metagenomics: Tracing Microbial Exchange During Sexual Intercourse," examines microbial transfer during sexual contact and its potential forensic applications. By utilizing shotgun metagenomic sequencing, this work explores new avenues for evidence detection when traditional DNA methods may be limited. Great work by the team in advancing forensic microbiomics! Read more here: https://ow.ly/W4GB50Vmoif #CFSRE #ForensicScience #Microbiome #Metagenomics #ForensicGenetics #ForensicResearch

Our graduate assistant, Katya Beltran, (2nd year Thomas Jefferson University MSFT student) shows you a day in lab by preparing samples for quantitative analysis of drugs in blood from emergency departments.

We want to congratulate our Director of Chemistry & Toxicology, Dr. Alex J Krotulski, on having the top cited article, "Review of analytical methods for screening and quantification of fentanyl analogs and novel synthetic opioids in biological specimens." Fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and other novel synthetic opioids (NSO), including nitazene analogs, prevail in forensic toxicology casework. Analytical methods for identifying these drugs in biological specimens need to be robust, sensitive, and specific. Isomers, new analogs, and slight differences in structural modifications necessitate the use of high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), especially as a non-targeted screening method designed to detect newly emerging drugs. Traditional forensic toxicology workflows, such as immunoassay and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS), are generally not sensitive enough for detection of NSOs due to observed low (sub-μg/L) concentrations. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e-Cs6uiT

CFSRE's NPS Discovery and the Society of Forensic Toxicologists, Inc. NPS Committee have established a partnership to develop updated scope recommendations for laboratories testing for novel psychoactive substances (NPS). The objective of this report is to provide guidance in developing an appropriate analytical scope of testing for NPS in the United States (and around the world). Here are the most recent recommendations for Q1 2025 based on current trends and intelligence from extensive collaborations, partnerships, and initiatives which yield national perspectives.

As part of our Thomas Jefferson University's graduate program, second year students have to fulfill a clerkship requirement. Here we have Nicholas Khorozov completing extractions to move methods from one of our older instruments to our newer ones. Learn more about our graduate programs here: https://lnkd.in/eVGu6qaS