Abstract
In many ways, DNA profiling technology is very similar to the conventional techniques used for forensic identification. As with, for example, blood grouping techniques, the molecular characteristics of the scene of crime sample may be determined and compared with those of the scene of reference samples from suspects and victim. If the molecular characteristics of the crime sample and the suspect are different, then they cannot be from the same person, whereas if they match, then the possibility remains that they may be from a single source. Similar material, such as blood or semen stains, may be used for both biochemical and genetic tests, and the main applications of identification and relationship testing are shared by both techniques. At this point, the similarity ends; DNA profiling has the following characteristics:
-
1.
It is more sensitive, being able to generate sound data from only a tiny amount of even partially degraded biological material.
-
2.
It is capable of resolving mixtures of semen or tissue from up to several individuals.
-
3.
It has a far greater power of discrimination between individuals—sometimes up to 1 millionfold higher than conventional techniques.
-
4.
It provides considerably more information on the nature of relationships, particularly in cases of incest.
As such, the technique represents a quantum leap in forensic identification and relationship testing.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Jeffreys, A. J., Wilson, V., and Thein, S. L. (1985) Hypervariable ‘minisatellite’ regions in human DNA.Nature 314, 67–73.
Wong, Z., Wilson, V., Jeffreys, A. J., and Thein, S. L. (1986) Cloning a selected fragment from a human DNA fingerprint: Isolation of an extremely polymorphic minisatellite.Nucleic Acids Res. 14, 4605–4616.
Jeffreys, A. J., Brookfield, J. F. Y., and Semeonoff, R. (1985) Positive identification of an immigration test-case using human DNA fingerprints.Nature 317, 818,819.
Wells, R. A. and Thein, S. L. (1991) DNA fingerprinting analysis: Methodology and its applications, inMethods in Molecular Biology, vol. 9: Protocols in Human Molecular Genetics (Mathew, C. G., ed.), Humana, Totowa, NJ, pp. 255–272.
Rittner, C., Shacker, U., Rittner, G., and Schneider, P. M. (1988) Application of DNA polymorphisms in paternity testing in Germany: Solution of an incest case using bacteriophage M13 hybridisation with hypervariable minisatellite DNA.J. Adv. Forensic Haemogenet. 2, 388–391.
Jones, L., Thein, S. L., Jeffreys, A. J., Apperley, J. F., Catovsky, D., and Goldman, J. M. (1987) Identical twin marrow transplantation for 5 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: Role of DNA fingerprinting to confirm monozygosity in 3 cases.Eur. J. Haematol. 39, 144–147.
Gill, P., Jeffreys, A. J., and Werrett, D. J. (1985) Forensic applications of DNA ‘fingerprints’.Nature 318, 577–579.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sullivan, K.M. Forensic applications of DNA fingerprinting. Mol Biotechnol 1, 13–27 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02821508
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02821508