CIA's Venture Capital Arm Is Funding Skin Care Products That Collect DNA (theintercept.com)

sittingnut writes: The Intercept reports that Skincential Sciences, whose main product line is Clearista, has attracted media coverage because its "innovative line of cosmetic products marketed as a way to erase blemishes and soften skin" are funded by In-Q-Tel, a venture capital arm of the CIA. According to Russ Lebovitz, the chief executive of Skincential Sciences, the CIA fund told him they share an interest in looking at DNA extraction from "normal skin" using the method pioneered by his company. Lebovitz said he was unsure of the intent of the CIA's use of the technology, but the fund was "specifically interested in the diagnostics, detecting DNA from normal skin." He added, "There's no better identifier than DNA, and we know we can pull out DNA." Perhaps law enforcement could use the biomarker extraction technique for crime scene identification or could conduct drug tests, Lebovitz suggested.

Comments

Uh...

[pushing-robot]

The CIA isn't "law enforcement". Spy agencies are pretty much the opposite of that.

And they've been doing surreptitious DNA analysis for a while now.

Re:Uh...

[Anonymous Coward]

The CIA isn't "law enforcement".

Then they should stop acting like they are, NSA too for that matter. Sorry to burst your bubble but the entire intelligence apparatus feeds law enforcement now, Constitution be damned.

CIA used DNA to help find Osama

[Karmashock]

They had a duel use vaccination project in pakistan where they gathered blood samples for DNA analysis. The DNA was scanned for similarities to Osama bin Ladin. The notion was that if they found a cluster of people with genetic similarities they would find him... blood relations etc.

The value to the CIA would be identifying people and associations of blood. It will also reveal unusual genetics in the population... people that might appear outwardly similar might contain genetic markers from a different population and that could give a hint as to someone to watch.

That is the idea in any case.

This is military intelligence work... not a legal investigation. The point is to find something that can give you a hint as to what is going on. Not to convict beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Re:CIA used DNA to help find Osama

[Karmashock]

Inbreeding is vastly more common in many other places in the world actually. I also think you mean west Virginia... that's where the banjos are more likely to play. Or possibly in the bayou portions of the Louisianan. That's especially common amongst the remaining french population out there. Its done in part to preserve their culture. Rather impressive to have maintained their old french heritage through all these years.

Of course, unlike the British that largely have good respectful relations with the angosphere, the French have this tendency to look down their noses at anyone not from Paris. They wonder why they failed as empire builders... The mystery is not so illusive.

Regardless being able to rapidly and covertly screen DNA can be useful when dealing with terrorists since the genetics of the terrorists are often distinct from the general population. Terrorists like to blend in... They adopt the local dress of the natives and who can say who knows whom?

Its important to keep in mind that this doesn't stop at top enemy commanders. You could screen for Saudis in Pakistan... Iranians in Israel... Russians in Washington.

Again, not anything you can take to court. Its not a legal tool. Its a military tool. When the marching orders are search and destroy... this facilitates that objective.

Re:CIA used DNA to help find Osama

[fustakrakich]

And if you want to babble nonsense, that's yours...

This is better ...

[PPH]

... than their usual method of collecting DNA by clipping the finger tip off of an interrogation subject with garden shears.

Really? Do you get paid to shill?

[s.petry]

All you need to do is read the top of the linked article to see how shitty our Government and people have been behaving. Not only does the CIA have front companies for harvesting DNA without the person's knowledge, but the first thing they say is A White House official says the CIA will no longer use vaccine programs as cover for spy operations. Good grief, the only reason they announced it is BECAUSE THEY KEEP GETTING CAUGHT! It also does not mean that they will actually stop using vaccine programs as cover, just that they claim it will.

You attempt to paint MK-Ultra as theory, when the papers were finally released. The CIA did drug people without their knowledge using LSD. They were caught smuggling drugs into the US and swapping those drugs for guns to send to South America. Not fantasy, not theory, facts.

Blah blah but the cowbows and indians blah, you need police with super powers blah. Shut the fuck up. If you are a paid shill you need to give your master back your money, you sure as hell don't know enough to earn it. If you are not a paid shill, seek medical help.

Re:clarification and sitations please, mr director

[sims 2]

Yes I remember that imho thats killed a lot of people by hampering actual vaccination campaigns.

Not to mention the doctors that have been killed under suspicion since then.

Total bullshit

[goombah99]

this is just some companies propoganda. It's duck soup to recover DNA from any skins sluffing. You don't need any special product. Total astroturf to hitch their wagon to the CIA and sucker slashdot to put it on the front page.