Agape Blog

It seems that DNA has been attracting lot of importance in forensics as the use of such evidence can help solve all types of crime – violent as well as non-violent. It has helped to exonerate the innocent and convict the guilty. Any professional, from crime scene investigator to DNA analyst, who touches a DNA sample to be used as evidence, must be highly trained and follow protocols and processes; ensuring proper collection, analysis, and reporting, all the while, guaranteeing the chain of custody. Considering the same, this week i am presenting links to some important articles on DNA and its use in forensics. And yes, there is an interesting case study as well.

1. Your DNA could reveal your surname. Researchers are working on a technique that would allow police to determine someone’s surname from their DNA. Read more
   
2. Chris Janson (Editor, Forensic Magazine) discusses about the importance of forensic tools to solve crime, bring justice, and make our world a safer place. Read more
   
3. Moving our discussion on DNA forensics further, comes a real life example that can also be used as a case study. This example shows how DNA evidence proved the innocence of 2 individuals; but only after they served 19 years in the prison. Read more

Many of us have heard about the term DNA, with or without realizing what it is! Technically, DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid and it carries the genetic information that programs each organism to be unique. Our body is made up of trillions of cells, each containing a nucleus. In humans, there are 46 chromosomes with the bulk of the cells DNA being located in the chromosomes in the nucleus. Without digging deeper into the topic of DNA, i would focus on - How is DNA used in human identification and forensic testing?

Numerous technical advances have been made since 1985 in forensic DNA analysis. Methods like Short Tandem Repeat (STR) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based DNA typing can be used to analyze biological evidence that contains too little DNA, or DNA that is too degraded, to allow DNA fingerprinting. DNA has proven to be an important tool in criminal investigations. Identification of criminals through DNA comparison is decisive and reliable. In 1995, the United Kingdom became the first nation to establish a national DNA database, for use in crime solving, called the United Kingdom National DNA Database (NDNAD).  Also, DNA can be extracted from any biological materials like blood, bone, teeth, skeletal remains, hair root, dandruff, saliva, sweat and more. DNA is a stable compound and can be extracted even from archival, archaeological materials.

This dependency free nature of DNA and its uniqueness to every individual makes it a very important tool in forensic investigation.