http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/science/18dna.html?_r=1
This article is about how scientists from Israel have determined that DNA fabrication is possible. DNA ever since this new research, has been the best and most reliable way of gaining evidence and the ultimate way of determine who was where and when they were there. Scientists have created blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. Also, they showed that they could construct a sample of DNA to math a profile in the DNA database.
Dan Frunkin, the lead author of the paper published, says, “ You can just create a crime scene…a biology undergraduate can perform this procedure. Dr. Frumkin the founder of Nucleix, has developed a test that can distinguish between real DNA and fabricated DNA, and hopes to sell his idea to forensic labs.
Nucleix’s test to tell if a sample has been fabricated relies on the fact that amplified DNA is not methylated, meaning it lacks certain molecules that are attached to the DNA at specific points, usually to inactivate genes.
DNA can be fabricated from any thing from a strand of hair to marks left on a drinking cup. It is truly remarkable, that DNA, once known as the final frontier in forensics. DNA, that had sent so many people to jail, because many believed that DNA could not be faltered with, has the ability now, to be fabricated.
1 comment:
3-I liked the topic and announcement that DNA fabrication is possible.
2-I liked the background on DNA (that it is the best and most reliable way of gaining evidence.)
1- I also liked the fact that scientists could construct a sample of DNA in order to match a sample in the database
2- This article could have described how Dr. Frunkin distinguished real DNA from fake DNA.
1- The article does not describe the process in which DNA is fabricated.
1- Prior to reading this article I was unaware that DNA could be fabricated at all.
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