The World's Premier Home Paternity Testing Service

A quote by a British Detective says it all when it comes to how DNA might help solve a recent mugging: “It’s not the brightest idea to leave your lunch at a crime scene,” Det. Con. Pete Wormley said.

According to a Mirror article a teenager apparently took an elderly woman’s purse and ran off, but not before leaving what police think is his half-eaten lunch behind in a cemetery near where the mugging took place.

Police and crime scene investigators are now testing the remnants of the lunch—specifically, a ham sandwich and potato chips—for any DNA evidence that could lead them to the robber.

It remains to be seen whether the DNA evidence on the ham sandwich will make up the meat of this case, or if other evidence will be needed to apprehend the munching mugger.

Scientists reported that they have successfully extracted “authentic” viking DNA from skeletal remains.

It is very difficult to extract a pure sample of ancient human DNA that is free of contamination from modern human sources. Ancient DNA that is intact is very hard to find, and is often in scarce amounts. The fact that modern human DNA is abundant in every step of the process, from excavation of remains to DNA analysis, further complicates the DNA extraction process—and this has caused many scientists to believe that it is virtually impossible to obtain uncontaminated ancient human DNA.

A pure sample is essential in order to properly analyze the DNA for migration patterns and origins of genetic diseases. Previous studies using ancient DNA have led to ill-formed conclusions that were later disproved due to evidence of contamination.

The scientist were able to achieve pure ancient DNA extracts by:

1. Analyzing DNA from ten Viking Age subjects that at the time of sampling were untouched by humans for 1,000 years.
2. Removing teeth from the subjects prior to handling by archaeologists and anthropologists using protective equipment.
3. For comparison, removing an additional tooth after standard archaeological and anthropological handling.

All work was carried out in a “clean laboratory” dedicated solely to ancient DNA work. The scientists found that consistent results were obtained with the “unhandled” teeth and there was no indication of contamination, unlike the second tooth from which DNA was extracted after normal handling.

Using the pure ancient DNA, they were able to discover mitochondrial DNA patterns that are infrequent or have not been observed in modern Scandinavians.

The media often tells instances in which DNA is used to solve violent or sex crimes, but a recent article from the United Kingdom explains how traces of DNA caught a thief in a different sort of crime.

With the rising cost of fuel around the world, an increasing number of people are resorting to theft to meet their fuel needs. However, Carl Anthony Little was not only caught stealing gasoline, but was reported to have then sold the stolen gas for a profit. British authorities say he committed 6 gas thefts in 6 days, stealing over $4,000 (£2,000) worth of diesel fuel in all.

Little was caught when he woke the driver of a parked load-carrying truck while he was siphoning diesel from the truck’s tank. As Little tried to get away, he left behind the equipment he used to siphon the fuel, and authorities were able to match Little to DNA left on the equipment.

Little is now on a 3-month curfew, and must also pay about $120 in fines. Prosecutors are also seeking additional punishment for each of Little’s 5 other alleged gas-stealing escapades.

Regarding his client and the charges at hand, Little’s defense attorney said, “This was a temporary misguided period in his life. He thought he could make a few pounds by stealing other people’s diesel. Clearly that was not the case.”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a $10 million project—funded by the candy company Mars Inc.— to analyze the complete cocoa genome. According to an Associated Press article, the goal of the project is to help identify and understand what DNA traits make certain cocoa trees susceptible to fungal diseases and draught, and could potentially save cocoa farmers up to $700 million in sick or dead trees annually.

However, in addition to saving cocoa trees and their farmers’ cash, scientists will use the opportunity to understand other genetic properties of the cocoa bean—including the genes that affect its taste properties. Mars Inc., the maker of M&Ms, Snickers and other famous chocolates, has said it will release the findings of the study to the public, including its competitors.

It seems that the uses for genome research are expanding at a rate sweeter than ever.