index

Bruce McCord's Research Page

Bruce McCord

Associate Professor – Analytical/Forensic Chemistry
Int ernational Forensic Research Institute
Departme nt o f Chemistry
Florida International University
Miami Florida 33199
305-348-7543, fax 305-348-3772
mccordb@fiu.edu

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Links
Classes

Items in the News:

DNA Typing project:

http://www.iscpubs.com/articles/al/a0403mar.pdf

http://www.ohiou.edu/perspectives/0302/story4.html

Drug detection:

http://www.ohiou.edu/news/00-01/409.html

Nanotechnology:
http://www.ohiou.edu/researchnews/news/nanotech.htm

Techniques

Forensic Chemistry

Capillary Electrophoresis

Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

Ion Chromatography

Current Projects

DNA Analysis
Explosives residue analysis
GHB and Benzodiazepines

Other Projects

Mccord research group '06

Some current members of the research group

Left to Right: Megan Bottegal, Carla Turner, Ada Nunez, Bruce McCord, Rayna Hebard, Sacha Dehere, Desiree Diaz, Stella Rohas

Current Research Group Members

Kerry Opel - DNA extraction from difficult samples
Megan Bottegal - Explosives residue and IED detection

Carla Turner– Microfluidics detection of drugs of abuse

Rayna Hebard – mtDNA analysis of damaged hair

Matt Buettner - Recovery of degraded DNA
Stephano Boulas - DNA sieving matrices

Maximilien Blas - microfluidic separation and electrospray CEC/MS
Ada Nunez - MiniSTR validation
Stella Rohas - gunshot residue detection by CE/MS
Jennifer Greaux - CEC and CEC/MS for DFSA

Jorge Quintana - affinity CE for drug detection
Inge Corbin - CE/MS and microfluidic detection of explosives

Former Research Group Members:

John Butler - Ph.D University of Virginia 1996
Alice Isenberg - Ph.D. University of Virginia 1998
Rob Heramb - MS Ohio Univeristy 2001
John Mathis - Ph.D Ohio University 2004
Ahmed Al Najjar - Ph.D Ohio University 2004
Denise Chung - Ph.D. Ohio University 2004
Kristy Hopper - Ph.D. Ohio University 2004
Sandra Bishop- Ph.D. Ohio University 2004
Brittany Hartzell - Ph.D. Ohio University 2004

Former Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr. Federica Crivellente - DNA buffer and injection studies
Dr. Yin Shen - Miniplex DNA Primer Development.
Dr. Jiri Drabek - Miniplex DNA Primer Validation.
Younas Khokar - Flourescent detection of abused drugs

Current Funding

Novel STR Multiplexes with Reduced Size to Analyze DNA, National Institute of Justice, 2002-IJ-CX-K007, $453,110 6/02-6/04, Bruce McCord (PI)

The Development of Microfluidic Devices for the Rapid Isolation and Detection of Drugs of Abuse, National Institute of Justice, 9/04 - 9/06 $499,865 Bruce McCord (PI)

"Forensic Analysis of Explosive Residue Background" Technical Services Working Group DAAD05-02-C-0035, $166,845, 5/09/02 - 11/29/04 Bruce McCord (PI)

Past Funding

"Enhancement of the Research Infrastructure: Forensic Anthropology and Biology & DNA Research Facility" 1804 Fund, $29,098.00 (9/1/ 04-9/1/ 05) Scott Moody, Biological Sciences, Nancy Tatarek, Sociology & Anthropology, and Bruce McCord, Chemistry & Biochemistry.

The Detection of Date Rape Drugs by Capillary Electrochromatography Using Monolithic Columns, National Institute of Justice, 2002-90104-OH-IJ, $183,206 (1/01/02 - 8/31/04), B. McCord (PI)

"Zeolitic Materials for Nanoscale Electronics and Quantum Computation", National Science Foundation, $1,160,000 (6/1/01-8/31/04), V. Soghomonian with cograntees B. McCord, J. Heremans, N. Bonesteel, and S. Ulloa.

“The Analysis of GHB and Benzodiazepines by Capillary Electrochromatography,” J. Edgar Hoover Foundation Scientific Scholarship, $25,000 (2/2001 –2/2004) Sandra Bishop (PI) and graduate student in Dr. McCord’s research group.

“Mass Spectrometry Consortium for Materials and Medical Research,” Hayes Investment Fund, $180,000 (5/01/02- 5/01/03), B. McCord (PI) with cograntees E. Barbar, J. Hines, M. Kieliszewski, P. Harrington, and J. Kopchick.

"The Development of New Analytical Buffer Systems for the Separation and Analysis of PCR Amplified DNA by Capillary Electrophoresis" National Institute of Justice, $279,201 (8/1/99-6/30/02) Bruce McCord (PI)

Classes

CHM 4130, 5150

CHS3501

CHS 4503L, 5531L

Lab Manual
Lab References

DNA Files en Espanol

Introduction
STRs
QPCR

CE theory
CE trobleshooting
MiniSTRs
PCR Inhibition
Y and Mitochondrial DNA

Trips planned this year

IAFS New Orleans, July 23-26, 2008
DNA Conference in the Green Mountains August 4-6, 2008 Vermont
Monterey Mexico Sept 18-20, 2008
MAFS, Des Moines Iowa, Sept 30, 2008
Promega Human Identification, Hollywood, CA, Oct 13-16, 2008
Renesselaer - November

Biographical Information

Awards and recognition

Labs Award -1995 Federal Bureau of Investigation - for contributions to quality in the laboratory.

Featured Scientist - August 1997 - Journal of Capillary Electrophoresis - for contributions to the advancement of forensic analytical chemistry.

Editorial Advisory Board, 1994- "Journal of Capillary Electrophoresis" ISC Technical Publications Inc. Shelton, CT

Editorial Board 1995-1999, "Electrophoresis" VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.

Certificate of Appreciation, April 2002 Alpha Chi Sigma – for distinguished service in the establishment of the Gamma Nu chapter of the Professional Chemistry Fraternity

Sigma Xi - Ohio University, May 2003.

Chair, Forensics - Annual Meeting, FACSS October 2003

Tenure – Ohio University, October 2003, FIU Fall 2004

Commissioner – Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, American Academy of Forensic Sciences, 2002-2004

Paul Kirk Award - for distinguished service and contributions to the field of Criminalistics. American Academy of Forensic Sciences 2008

Editorial Board 2007- Open Forensic Science Journal

Editorial Board 2008- Journal of Forensic Sciences

Editorial Board 2008- “Electrophoresis” - VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH

Membership in professional organizations

American Chemical Society

Alpha Chi Sigma Professional Chemistry Fraternity
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Sigma Xi

Personal Interests
Personal Interests

Bruce McCord's other interests include jazz, ( He plays dixieland clarinet, soprano and alto saxaphone, and mandolin ) windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and computer applications of music.

Dixieland Jazz
Dixieland Jazz performance
Sailing
Windsurfing
Snorkling
Kayaking

vita

Resume

Forensic Chemistry is the application of chemistry to the investigation of crime. This field involves the application and integration of a variety of analytical techniques such as chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and others towards the investigation of criminal acts. Forensic chemists use these techniques to analyze physical evidence from cases of arson, homicide, rape, food adulteration, environmental pollution and bombings.

For information on the forensic chemistry program at Florida Internaitonal Univeristy go to:

http://www.fiu.edu/~ifri/

For information on forensic science in general go to:

http://www.aafs.org

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Capillary Electrophoresis:

My current interests lie in the area of forensic and toxicological applications of capillary electrophoresis. In this technique, analytical separations are carried out at high voltages in fused silica capillaries using a conductive buffer. The electric field induces flow in the capillary, eliminating the problems of high back-pressure and dispersion which are characteristic of HPLC. As separation in capillary electrophoresis is based on differences in the charge to mass ratio of solvated ions, the technique is an ideal complement to adsorption based chromatographic techniques. In the biochemical area, capillary electrophoresis has significant advantages over traditional slab gel based techniques

A good web page on capillary electrophoresis

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DNA Analysis by Capillary Electrophoresis:

In the area of DNA analysis, I am interested in the development of techniques for the rapid and high resolution separation of PCR products by capillary gel electrophoresis. This work has important implications in the future use of capillary electrophoresis in solving problems in such diverse areas as human identification, DNA sequencing, disease detection, and bacterial identification. I am particularly interested in the development of what are known as physical gels – non-crosslinked solutions of polymers dissolved in a suitable buffer which are then used as a CE separation matrix. Through better understanding of the interactions between individual DNA molecules and these dissolved polymers, it should be possible to produce separations which are optimized for a given DNA fragment size and sequence.

Figure 1

Other items of importance in developing high resolution DNA separations are understanding the effect of sample injection and sample adsorption on the capillary walls. Multichannel laser induced fluorescence and multiplex PCR amplification can be used to increase the information content and sensitivity of the assay. This is illustrated in Figure 1 which shows the separation of 10 PCR amplified genetic loci (Profiler+ multiplex, ABI ) using CE with laser induced fluorescence detection and a hydroxyethyl cellulose based polymer matrix. The separation was achieved by optimizing conditions such as molecular weight, concentration, and temperature of the polymer buffer. The knowledge gained in these studies can be directly applied towards the improvement of the resolution and stability of these separation techniques. Additional projects involve the development of methods for the selective extraction of genomic DNA from blood stains and bone using alternative techniques such as solid phase extraction and magnetic bead technology. More recently we have been working on a project with researchers at NIST to redesign conventional PCR multiplex kits to permit amplification of degraded DNA.

A good web page on issues in DNA typing

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Detection of Explosives

Explosives Residues:

The anions and cations produced as a byproduct of the deflagration of an explosive device, while smaller in size than DNA fragments, may also be separated and detected via capillary electrophoresis. In this work I am interested in a fundamental question; can the nature of an improvised explosive device be determined through analysis of the products left behind following the blast? Methods have been developed for the extraction and analysis of organic and inorganic explosives residue. For example figure 8.14 illustrates the separation of the extracted residue from an improvised explosive device containing black powder using capillary ion analysis. Such results can be used to develop techniques to detect variations in the chemical profile due to the conditions of the blast and the makeup of the explosive materials. Other related applications of this work include the detection of organic gunshot residue and the detection of lot to lot variations in smokeless powder formulations using techniques such as HPLC, electrospray mass spectrometry and capillary electrochromatography.

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GHB and Benzodiazepines Project
Low dose benzodiazepenes and GHB have been reportedly used as a date-rape drugs. We are investigating the use of in-line extraction coupled to capillary electrophoresis as a method for detection of trace quantities of these drugs in urine. The procedure involves absorbing the drug and its metabolites on a solid sorbant just prior to electrophoretic analysis. Additionally we are investigating the use of monolithic capillary electrochromatography and the use of CE with fluorescent detection in forensic toxicology. Our eventual goal will be to produce microfluidic devices using stationary phases polymerized in-situ.

Information on toxicological investigation of drug facilitated sexual assault

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Fluorescent detection of Opiates.
We are developing methods for the detection of Opiates using capillary electrophoresis with cyclodextrins and other modifiers. We are also investigating native fluorescent detection and various options for derivatization of these compounds.

Other Areas of research :

Other areas of research interest involve the use of capillary electrophoresis in the detection of DNA protein interactions and the development of nanoscale devices for application to problems in analytical separations, nanoscale computing, and DNA hybridization.

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DNA typing

1) The STR database (an exceptional resource on STRs)
http://www.cstl.nist.gov/div831/strbase/
2) DNA in the courtroom (A guide for the legal profession)
http://www.genelex.com/paternitytesting/paternitybook1.html
3) the DNA files (including text from the NRC reports)
http://www.dnafiles.org/resources/res05.html#cat2
4) The National Commission on DNA Evidence (an excellent overview)
http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/183697.pdf

<>Trips planned 2007
AFDA Austin TX August 1-3
FBI Trace Symposium Clearwater Florida, August13-16
DNA training, Phoenix, AZ Sept 24-26
MAFS Traverse City, MI, Sept 24-26
LACE Santiago, Chile Dec 1-4
<>

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Vita

Bruce Royston McCord received a BS with honors in 1981 from the College of William and Mary. He then went on to receive a Ph. D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986 where his thesis advisor was Professor James Taylor. Bruce then went on to work two years in the chemical industry- first as a senior chemist for Ciba -Geigy in MacIntosh Alabama and then as Group Leader for Analytical Development at Syntex Pharmaceuticals in Freeport, Bahamas. In 1989 he began working as a research chemist at the FBI's Forensic Science Research and Training Center in Quantico, VA where he specialized in forensic applications of liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. In 1998 he joined the faculty of Ohio University where he was the director of the undegradute forensic chemistry program. In August of 2004 Dr. McCord joined the faculty of Florida International University as an Associate Professor where he is the director of the Graduate Program in Forensic Chemistry. His current research interests involve the development of new methods for DNA typing, the application of microfluidics for drug detection, and the use of chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods for explosives residue analysis. Bruce is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Capillary Electrophoresis, Sigma Xi, and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. His outside interests include improvizational jazz on clarinet and saxaphone (dixieland and traditional), windsurfing, sailing and kayaking. He is married (Margie) with 3 children: Jennifer, Cynthia and Annie.