Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Microbial DNA testing
The DNA typing of microbes in forensic science can be either for bioterrorism [46,
47] or for the comparison of soils [48]. Undoubtedly the possibility of being able
to link soil samples based on their DNA profile would allow even more biological
material to be examined than at present. The problem at present is that it is difficult
to reproduce the same result from soil samples.
Concluding comments
Two main questions are asked with non-human DNA: what species is this and from
which particular organism did it originate? Species testing using either mitochondrial
gene loci or those on the chloroplast has become routine, but is dependent on the
species in question being registered on one of the sequence databases. The success of
STR typing of non-human DNA samples is dependent on the primer sites either side
of the STR being known, and the appropriate evaluation of the data is dependent on
knowledge of the biology of the species when considering the chance that the DNA
comes from any other member of the same species.
As the use of DNA typing from human samples has become routine, it is not
surprising that there is an ever-increasing interest in using similar methods on
non-human samples. The examinations are performed either by forensic science lab-
oratories with little knowledge of species other than humans, or by universities with
a knowledge of the biology of the species but little knowledge of forensic science.
The optimum is where the testing is performed by those with both knowledge of the
species concerned and a forensic science background.
Further reading
Coyle, H. (ed.) (2008)
Nonhuman DNA Typing
, International Forensic Science and Investigation
Series, CRC Press, Boca Raton.
Linacre, A. (ed.) (2009)
Forensic Science in Wildlife Investigations
, International Forensic Science
and Investigation Series, CRC Press, Boca Raton.
WWW resources
CITES Secretariat: http://www.cites.org/
United Nations Environment Programme: World Conservation Monitoring Centre http://www
.unep-wcmc.org/
Interpol: http://www.interpol.int/Public/EnvironmentalCrime/Wildlife/Default.asp
References
1. Gray, M.W. (1989) Origin and evolution of mitochondrial-DNA.
Annual Review of Cell Biol-
ogy
,
5
, 25 - 50.
2. Satoh, M. and Kuroiwa, T. (1991) Organization of multiple nucleoids and DNA-molecules in
mitochondria of a human cell.
Experimental Cell Research
,
196
, 137 - 140.
