DNA Profiling
Definition
Analysis of specific regions of an individual's DNA to generate a profile that, with high statistical probability, uniquely identifies that person. Developed by Alec Jeffreys in 1984 and first used in court in 1986.
- Developer
- Alec Jeffreys
- Year developed
- 1984
- First court use
- 1986
- Purpose
- High-probability individual identification
Common questions
What was the original 1986 case that first used DNA profiling in court?+
Jeffreys's technique was used in the UK investigation of the Enderby murders, where DNA profiling both linked one suspect to the crimes and exonerated a wrongly suspected man, an early demonstration of its power to both convict and clear.
How has DNA profiling changed since Jeffreys's original method?+
Early profiling used multi-locus RFLP probes that required relatively large, undegraded samples; modern profiling uses PCR-amplified STR loci, needing far less DNA and tolerating more degradation, which is why casework capability has expanded enormously since 1984.
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