Faking DNA samples is a nightmare for forensics

    Israeli biochemists have published a scientific paper with a detailed description of how blood and saliva samples can be changed, so that a DNA test will reveal to another person. Moreover, scientists believe it is possible to fake a specific person’s DNA sample without even having a sample of biological material from his body, but simply based on information from that person’s genetic profile.

    If it is possible to obtain a sample of the victim’s material (hair or a drop of saliva on a glass), then the fake of the sample is carried out by amplification of the genome by polymerase chain reaction. This is a standard technique that is widely used in biological and medical practice, for example, for diagnosing diseases, for establishing paternity, etc. In this case, the amplifier is launched to the fullest to synthesize a large number of pseudochromosomes, which can then be embedded in biological material at the crime scene (the same drop of blood, saliva, a fingerprint fragment).

    A DNA sample swap technique is available to any senior biofacial student, said Dan Framkin, lead author of the study, in an interview with NY Times. He says the existing forensic lab equipment is not able to detect the difference between real and fake DNA. Therefore, Framkin and colleagues founded the commercial company Nucleix, which sells equipment for detecting amplification in DNA samples. This is possible according to some specific characteristics (certain molecules are missing in chains).

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