Characterization, or ''typing," of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for purposes of criminal investigation can be thought of as an extension of the forensic typing of blood that has been common for more than 50 years; it is actually an extension from the typing of proteins that are coded for by DNA to the typing of DNA itself. Genetically determined variation in proteins is the basis of blood groups, tissue types, and serum protein types. Developments in molecular genetics have made it possible to study the person-to-person differences in parts of DNA that are not involved in coding for proteins, and it is primarily these differences that are used in forensic applications of DNA typing to personal identification. DNA typing can be a powerful adjunct to forensic science. The method was first used in casework in 1985 in the United Kingdom and first used in the United States by commercial laboratories in late 1986 and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1988.
DNA typing has great potential benefits for criminal and civil justice; however, because of the possibilities for its misuse or abuse, important questions have been raised about reliability, validity, and confidentiality. By the summer of 1989, the scientific, legal, and forensic communities were calling for an examination of the issues by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. As a response, the Committee on DNA Technology in Forensic Science was formed; its first meeting was held in January 1990. The committee was to address the general applicability and appropriateness of the use of DNA technology in forensic science, the need to develop standards for data collection and analysis, aspects of the
technology, management of DNA typing data, and legal, societal, and ethical issues surrounding DNA typing. The techniques of DNA typing are fruits of the revolution in molecular biology that is yielding an explosion of information about human genetics. The highly personal and sensitive information that can be generated by DNA typing requires strict confidentiality and careful attention to the security of data.
