Although highly reliable in clinical or research applications, the standard technology used for DNA typing—known as RFLP-VNTR analysis—has been less satisfactory in the forensic setting because it requires abundant and clean specimens. Samples typically found at crime scenes, however, are both quantitatively and qualitatively inadequate—very small and often environmentally degraded from exposure to heat, light, and humidity. Further, police investigations call for a quicker turnaround time than is possible with the standard method, which can take months to complete. Automated DNA Typing: Method of the Future discusses an NIJ-sponsored project at Baylor University's College of Medicine to develop a DNA typing system that overcomes the limitations of samples found at crime scenes.