DNA: Expanding Forensic Science

By Samba Lampich

Ten years ago, forensic science was becoming a familiar field largely due to the rise of crime scene TV shows. These popular shows followed forensic scientists using DNA profiling to solve crimes or decade old mysteries. The concept of using a drop of blood to identify a criminal or provide concrete evidence in court was new and thrilling audiences everywhere. But what today may be a common technique and tool in forensic science wasn’t conceivable just ten years ago.

Quicker Results

In the real world, DNA processing takes weeks and sometimes even months. Time-sensitive cases like serial sexual assaults or murders, familial relationship verification in citizenship and immigration, human-remain identification in mass disasters or law enforcement investigation require quick results. But now, a machine called RapidHIT 200 Human DNA Identification System can process DNA in just under two hours. Conventional DNA analysis requires the use of three machines, but this new technology combines them all into one. According the manufacturer, the RapidHIT requires only three minutes to generate five DNA profiles. The output from the system is compatible with local, state and national human identification databases, making it faster and easier to see if the profile already exists and identify the individual. RapidHIT machine is only available in a few agencies in the country.

Warrantless DNA Collection

In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States held that officers can take and analyze a cheek swab of the arrestee’s DNA as part of their booking procedure. Before this ruling, DNA samples from suspects could only be collected if the officers had warrants. Twenty-eight states and the federal government now take DNA swabs after arrests and compare their profiles to the CODIS database hoping to solve crimes or identify people.

Store Music And More In DNA

In January 2013, UK researchers reported they can now encode Shakespeare’s sonnets and excerpts from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech in DNA which can last for tens of thousands of years.

“We already know that DNA is a robust way to store information because we can extract it from wooly mammoth bones, which date back tens of thousands of years, and make sense of it,” Nick Goldman, co-author of the study at EMBL-EBI, said in a statement. “It’s also incredibly small, dense and does not need any power for storage, so shipping and keeping it is easy.”

The technology uses strands of artificial DNA synthesized and encoded by a machine to create the zeros and ones of digital technology to store the data for later retrieval.

The most expensive part of the process is reading the DNA because of the machines it requires. The researchers hope that the cost will come down soon and families could be able to store those vacation family photos or wedding videos in DNA. 

Classroom Discussion

• What are some of the limitations of DNA profiling?
• What industries might benefit from being able to store large amounts of data in a small amount of DNA