NEW TECHNIQUE DISCOVERED FOR DNA
TESTING
The Centre for Cellular
and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad has discovered a new technique
for examining DNA. Scientists at the Centre say that the technique
is based on indigenously developed novel universal primers. This
will help amplify and sequence a specific fragment of mitochondrial
cytochrome 'b' gene from vast range of animal species in a universal
manner. The amplified product obtained from a confiscated biological
sample is in fact the molecular signature of the species of the
sample in question. Comparison of this signature with the signatures
of known animal species available in the database of signatures
generated and maintained by CCMB, reveals the identity of the
unknown sample beyond a reasonable doubt.
Establishing the
species identity of confiscated animals is a great challenge to
law enforcement agencies. The new technique developed by CCMB
establishes the exact identity of the confiscated animal or parts
and products thereof. This DNA-based approach, without any prior
information about the history of a forensic sample, is also able
to establish whether a drop of blood, tiny piece of meat or bunch
of hairs belong to human or animal and if animal to which species
of the animal.
The Centre for DNA
Finger Printing and Diagnostics (CDFD) of the Department of Biotechnology,
located at Hyderabad, has also standardised individual-specific
methods for Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis of DNA recovered
from Sambar deer, the most commonly hunted animal in Indian forests.
The interest of foreinsic science in animal microsatellites is
caused by the possibility of species determination through unknown
blood, bone or tissue samples. It also makes it possible to identify
animals in poaching cases. It has standardised two sets of primers
for establishing the identity of the Samber deer and working on
four more primers. It is also trying to standardise a protocol
for the isolation of DNA from cotton leaves and seeds and taken
up a silk worm genome programme.
