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DNA Fingerprinting, Genetics and Crime: DNA Testing and the Courtroom
Fathom
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| Seminar Introduction |
Courtesy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
The startling scientific and technological advances that have been made in biology over the last 30 or so years have resulted in profound changes to the practice of medicine, allowed the development of new crop varieties with improved nutritional value and resistance to disease, as well as impacted many other facets of our every day life. One area that has been revolutionized by such advances has been in the identification of individuals from biological samples.
When DNA analysis was first introduced into the forensic arena, some 15 years ago, it generated extreme controversy in the scientific and legal worlds, fuelled at least in part by several well-publicized cases where the data were interpreted erroneously, and/or the procedures used did not stand up to close scrutiny. However, with the inevitable improvements that were made in the process and methods used, it is now accepted by virtually all scientists and legal scholars. In the last few years, the DNA in such samples has allowed the identification of many of the victims in the September 11th World Trade Center disaster, has established the guilt--and innocence--of many defendants in criminal rape and murder trials as well as in paternity cases, and has even caused the acute embarrassment of a former President.
In this seminar, geneticist and evolutionary biologist Julian Adams of the University of Michigan explains the principles, procedures and issues involved with the use of DNA as a tool in the identification of individuals. The focus of this seminar will be on the use of DNA in criminal trials. The procedures are basically the same for paternity (and even grand-paternity) and criminal cases. However there is one important difference--in paternity cases we must consider the genetic relationship between the mother, child and putative father(s). As we will see, in one criminal/paternity case, failure to consider possible defendants led to serious consequences, and a possible miscarriage of justice.
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| Learning Objectives |
- Describe the structure of the DNA that allows individuals to be differentiated so accurately.
- Explain the population genetic principles that are invoked to allow calculations of guilt or innocence.
- Identify the assumptions that are involved in making such calculations, and how the use of DNA as an identification device has been challenged in the courts.
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| Sessions |
| Session 1 | Genetic Variation in Populations |
| Session 2 | Extracting the Sample and Determining the Match |
| Session 3 | Determining the Frequency of the Genetic Profile in the Population |
| Session 4 | Variation Between Populations |
| Session 5 | Presentation in Court: Issues and Pitfalls |
| Session 6 | Recent Developments and the Future of DNA Testing |
| Contributors |
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| Credits |
Copyright 2002 Regents of the University of Michigan.
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| Technical Requirements |
To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them. Browser: Netscape versions 4.x up to 4.76, or Internet Explorer versions 4.x or later. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.
Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps with a throughput of 34Kbps or more. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.
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