Dated October 17, 2001
The Hindu Business Line

In an interesting example of synergy between Information Technology (IT) skills and molecular biology, two institutions have come together to develop a software package that will help in rapid analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) data.

The package for automation of DNA fingerprinting casework and setting up a network on which the application can be deployed has been developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing
(C-DAC), Hyderabad in collaboration with the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagonostics (CDFD).

DNA is the most fundamental information about a human being.

Each person, except an identical twin, has a unique DNA profile. Therefore, the information is very sensitive and holds the key to many issues in health, paternity, crime and so on.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) - funded project aims to install an intranet solution, which is isolated from the outside network, so that the sensitive nature of the information generated is preserved.

The project assumes significance in view of the increasing number of cases that are coming up before the Courts and law-enforcing agencies relating to paternity, crimes involving sex, etc. in these instances DNA fingerprinting has emerged as a vital piece of proof that is hard to be disputed.

DNA identification analysis refers to the characterization of one or more rare features of an individual's genome. The technique is recent and has been accepted as evidence by Indian courts, especially in matters of paternity disputes.

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has, over a decade of extensive tests and representation of the evidence derived by DNA fingerprinting analysis, established the technique. High visibility cases, such as the Rajiv Gandhi and Beant Singh assassinations, have also figured in the forensic studies.

To reduce the long-drawn nature of analytical work involved, an IT-based solution was conceived of in March 2000, when C-DAC did a feasibility study at the request of the CDFD which, in turn, is an offshot of the work done at the CCMB.

Once the feasibility report was accepted and the turnkey project awarded to C-DAC, it came up with modules such as registration of case, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and non-PCR tests. What the automated package really does is the following: As soon as the case is registered, simple routines, such as an acknowledgment and other details are generated automatically by the system. This helps reduce considerable manual work, which is time-consuming.

Once the DNA sample taken from the person is isolated and the fingerprint image obtained in the laboratory, the software programme helps prepare the final report automatically. Overall, the software package helps decision-makers track the status of the case at any point of time. The users can also get fast access to the database constructed.