Scientists Find Way To Combat Forged DNA 45
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."
And came the authentication authentication... (Score:5, 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...
Re:Plausible denability? (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.