A police task force has been established to identify and review evidence for additional DNA testing as an inquiry probes potential shortcomings in lab testing in Queensland.
The inquiry's interim report is expected to be handed to the state government this week, as it investigates if DNA collection, testing and analysis has been reliable and in line with best practice.
Queensland Police on Tuesday confirmed a task force has been established to "continue identifying and reviewing evidentiary samples for additional DNA testing with Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services".
"The QPS is committed to working with the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic DNA Testing and looks forward to receiving its final report in due course," a spokesperson said in a statement.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler said the number of samples is in the thousands.
"So there is a fair bit of work to get through," he said.
"We look at the seriousness of the case first. We've got to prioritise. That's why we've set up a team who are experts in that area.
"They're all very, very seasoned detectives, and we'll work through that backlog as quickly as we can."
Potential problems with the lab first came to light as a result of The Australian's podcast series about the investigation into the slaying of Shandee Blackburn.
Concerns have been raised about a potential failure to test crucial forensic evidence, with specimens falling below a certain level reported as "no DNA detected'' or "DNA insufficient for further processing''.
DNA threshold limits that were in place since 2018 have since been removed.
Commissioner Walter Sofronoff, a former Court of Appeal president, is leading the inquiry.
The final report is due on December 13.
