Types of Biometrics: DNA – Use Cases

Biometric modality: DNA – use cases

Identity management & biometric databases

• Paternity testing and identity assurance for children – a child’s DNA profile is compared to the profiles of both the mother and alleged father. The true biological relationship between the child and the father can then be determined i.e. either confirmed as the biological father of the child or excluded by the DNA and not the father.
  
  
• The first use of DNA profiling in law enforcement occurred in the UK in 1986 after the sexual assault and murders of two young girls on separate occasions near a village in Leicestershire, England. DNA was recovered from both crime scenes and a local man confessed to the crimes. However, his DNA did not match the DNA samples and a mass screening was subsequently conducted that collected some 4000 DNA samp[les from local men but failed to identify any matching DNA. Sometime later a man was heard to tell a friend that he had given a blood sample on behalf of another man, Colin Pitchfork. Pitchfork was arrested and his DNA was found to match the samples from the crime scenes which led to his conviction for the crimes and the exoneration of the original suspect.
  
  
• The use of DNA in the exoneration of innocent suspects/convicted prisoners was realised by Defense Attorneys Scheck and Neufield in 1992. They set up the Innocence Project in New York City which examined cases across the USA where evidence was available for post-conviction DNA testing. Although some cases resulted in the confirmation that the correct person had been convicted, hundreds of other cases challenged the legitimacy of the convictions and helped establish the innocence of the imprisoned individuals.
  
  
• DNA profiling also plays a crucial role in the identification of the deceased and especially in mass disasters where it is used alongside fingerprints and forensic odontology (dental comparisons) as one of the three, internationally recognised primary identifiers.

Other DNA applications

• Genealogy – the growing public interest in family history and the tracing of lineages and pedigrees. This has prompted a surge in demand for DNA testing by private companies to reveal a person’s genetic ancestry. The tests generate results, based on general population heredity trends, that suggest the ethnic mix and geographic distribution of the individual’s antecedents. Approximately 30 million adults, from around the world, have already submitted their DNA to companies for genealogical purposes.
  
  
• DNA technology and gene cloning are becoming essential elements of the pharmaceutical industry and medicine. DNA is being used to develop therapeutic hormones such as insulin and help diagnose hereditary diseases such as sickle cell anemia and Huntington’s disease. This is part of the trend towards ‘precision medicine’ that incorporates genetic information and other factors affecting the patient to form a diagnosis and provide preventative medical interventions. DNA is also a critical, cutting-edge tool in developing modern vaccines and tracking pathogens and their mutations in pandemics e.g. coronavirus.

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