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Scientists Find Way To Combat Forged DNA

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the i'll-see-your-dna-evidence-and-raise-you-an-authenticator dept.

An anonymous reader writes to tell us that while scientists may have learned how to forge DNA, it appears that a group of Israeli scientists has created a DNA authentication method that is able to distinguish between real and faked DNA samples. "The new process was tested on natural and artificial samples of blood, saliva and touched surfaces, with complete success, Nucleix said. It also identifies 'contaminated' DNA that has been mixed with two or more samples."

9 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. Plausible denability? by vertinox · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So if I make fake DNA of myself and throw around a crime scene then I can use this method to prove I wasn't there?

    --
    "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
    -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
    1. Re:Plausible denability? by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No (And spanking the monkey is not "fake DNA")

      All it does is provide doubt to the evidence. One cannot prove a negative ("I wasn't there"), which is why we assume innocence, and guilt must be proved beyond REASONABLE doubt.

      To prove you "weren't there" you would have to have an alibi; evidence you were somewhere else.

      --
      Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
    2. Re:Plausible denability? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      So if I make fake DNA of myself and throw around a crime scene then I can use this method to prove I wasn't there?

      No...

      The technology for amplifying DNA has been around for a while. That is how they take tiny samples and make larger ones for testing. Using household chemicals, you can amplify your DNA easily. And yes, like you said, you could spread that everywhere.

      This amplified DNA is missing key methylated chemicals which give it away as amplified DNA.

      Current standard DNA tests do not look for DNA missing the methylated compounds.

      I think the article is describing a simple, easily standardized, easily implemented test for labs to use with every DNA test that will distinguish between real, amplified and a mix of real and amplified DNA.

      The difference between real and amplified is and always has been clear, a mechanism (created by the company in the article) now exists for looking for that difference every time. This keeps the legitimacy of DNA testing intact...your method for deniability is not.

  2. And came the authentication authentication... by SerpentMage · · Score: 4, Interesting

    First there was radar...

    Then came a radar detector...

    Then came a radar detector detector...

    And now you have a radar detector, detector, detector... or a radar detector evader...

    What is common? Only the idiots will be caught and those that don't want to be caught wont be caught and we will use technology to show how good it is to catch the idiots that would probably self-destruct anyways...

    --

    "You can't make a race horse of a pig"
    "No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
  3. Full disclosure? by hansraj · · Score: 5, Informative

    Dan Frumkin, the lead researcher of the group that created a way to "fake DNA" is the founder of Nucleix, the company selling the test for such forgery.

    Not that this has any bearing whatsoever on the quality of the research behind all this, but still one would think that such information was relevant to this news.

  4. Re:Cat and Mouse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So is the cat ahead or the mouse?

    Presuming the cat was only hungry for about 80% of it's meal, I would guess that the mouse is a head at this point.

  5. I think ... by PPH · · Score: 4, Funny

    It also identifies "contaminated" DNA that has been mixed with two or more samples.

    ... I know the lady responsible for collecting those mixed samples.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  6. Disclosed in the News by LionKimbro · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't see any foul play -- the article specifically says just this:

    Israeli scientists find way to combat forged DNA -- very first line reads: "Israeli scientists have developed new technology to fight biological identity theft after realising that DNA evidence found at crime scenes can be easily falsified."

    Then further on: "Elon Ganor is CEO and co-founder of Nucleix, an Israeli company specialised in DNA analysis that conducted the research."

    Further on: "To combat the practice, Nucleix has developed a DNA authentication method that distinguishes between real and fake samples."

    The article is very clear that the discoverers were also the inventors of the counter-technology.

  7. So this is how evolution started? by Grindar · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now begins the genetic arms race?