Rate My Professor Marie Rye

Dr. Marie Rye serves as Senior Lecturer in Forensic Science at Murdoch University in the School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences. She is also Senior Forensic Scientist in Research and Development at PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, leading the Forensic Biology team. Holding a BSc, BMedSc, and PhD, her academic and professional career centers on advancing forensic science techniques, particularly in genetic analysis for human identification from degraded or challenging samples.

Dr. Rye's research specializations include forensic genetics, next-generation sequencing, DNA extraction optimization from sources like bone, teeth, hair shafts, and proteomic genotyping to infer SNPs without DNA evidence. Key publications encompass 'Proteomic Genotyping for Individual Human Identification: Inferring SNPs in the Absence of DNA Evidence' (2025), 'Improving DNA recovery and sample throughput using the PrepFiler™ Automated Forensic DNA Extraction Kit on two customised Tecan Fluent® 1080 Automated Workstations' (2024), 'Demonstration of potential DNA contamination introduced by laboratory consumables using Fluorescein' (2024), 'Comparison of the ForenSeq Signature Prep and ForenSeq MainstAY kits to traditional capillary electrophoresis kits for STR profile analysis from various DNA sources' (2024), 'Sensitivity and baseline noise of three new generation forensic autosomal STR kits: PowerPlex® Fusion, VeriFilerTM Plus and Investigator® 24plex QS' (2019), and 'High detection rates of nucleic acids of a wide range of respiratory viruses in the lower respiratory tract of ventilated patients with suspected ventilator-associated pneumonia' (2011). She supervises postgraduate theses, including 'Influence of Time on DNA Extraction Yield and Test Outcomes from Human Hair Shafts' (2025) and 'Development of a Large Volume DNA Extraction Method' (2025). Under her leadership, the PathWest Forensic Biology R&D team, collaborating with ChemCentre and Murdoch University researchers, received the 2025 WA Government Innovator of the Year Award for developing a new forensic capability using the human hair shaft proteome for protein-based human identification, aiding cold case investigations. Her contributions have also been recognized with ANZPAA NIFS Best Paper Awards for works on DNA contamination detection and forensic biology quality issues, enhancing laboratory standards and investigative outcomes in Western Australia.