If you require any information concerning DNA fingerprinting / profiling this is the site for you. Whether the information you seek is personal or educational or general interest, this site will provide you a wealth of information concerning the uses and abuses of DNA fingerprinting / profiling. An increasing number of visitors to this site are primarily concerned in finding information concerning civil or criminal matters.
This site contains the following pages: frequently asked questions; a glossary; comments concerning DNA issues in newspapers which may be factually incorrect or does not give an in-depth insight into a story; blogs and a features pages concerning specific problems encountered by visitors to this site.
For example, a senior citizen wanted advice concerning paternity matters after discovering ABO blood grouping may not be as accurate as first expected. Before 1985, blood grouping tests was used to settle family disputes concerning biological relationships and also used as scientific evidence to convict suspected criminals. However, this old technique has a number of disadvantages. The consequences are huge and with the advent of DNA profiling which was invented in 1985, many individuals will be able to determine they are biologically related to a family or suspects whom have been wrongly judged and incarcerated before 1985 could possibly have their case reopened.
All laboratory techniques have some form of error and thus the interpretation of a result could be wrong. DNA profiling is not an exception this. Factors, which contribute to these errors, include the following: misinterpretation of DNA data, contamination of the sample or confusion over the validity of the result. In addition, “systematic errors” could also play an integral part in obtaining an incorrect result and these include; analyst changing laboratory records; exaggerating statistical information; suppressing important DNA evidence; falsifying etc…
Read the stories on the blog pages for more information.
