Salutations,
My name is Andy Geyer and this is my very first ever blog post *applause*. I have managed to obtain an Associates Degree in Science and one as well in the Arts. Together, they add up to a bachelors degree but unfortunately that is not how this school stuff works. This is my first semester at Brandman University and I am a transfer from Sacramento State. The reason for the switch is, at Sac State, I was a Forensic Biology major and I realized (a bit late in the game) that I could not see myself sequestered away in a lab for the rest of my life. I felt like a little bit of my soul was lost every time I did a DNA prep. I decided that I would be happier in the field so here I am, a Criminal Justice majior with a forensic concentration. In order to become a CSI I will need to become an officer...with a gun...let that sink in.
My research will be focused on a relatively new forensic tool that is just now beginning to take hold. Touch DNA until now has been a myth. However, recent advances in quantifying DNA with qPCR has open the door to new opportunities. One such advance is creating a genetic profile from even the smallest amount of DNA left at the scene of a crime. As a CSI, I will be involved directly in the collection and tracking of articals taken from the local of a crime. Touch DNA is very delicate and must be collected and preserved in a particular manner. New techniques will need to be explored and identified in order for the evidence to make it to the lab without contamination. I would like to identify new techniques in this area of evidence collection and preservation.
I have taken research classes before and I hope this class will hone the skills I have already aquired from my previous classes. Im glad to be here. Lets do this!
