A team of scientists has highlighted the need for a DNA database in the UAE to provide scientific evidence that can be used to solve criminal cases in which there is little or no reliable information.

The scientists, who belong to the UAE University, said the database has many advantages and developed countries have been keeping the genetic records of people, particularly criminals.

The team has recently established the first DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) profile database at the university using a short tandem repeats (STR) system, which produces reliable results linking a suspect to a crime with high sensitivity.

According to a report published by the Scientific Research Affairs Sector of the UAE University, the team includes Dr Ebrahim Al Hosani from the laboratory of Forensic Sciences, and Dr Amr Ameen and Dr Sofyan Alyan from the Department of Biology.

In their research, the scientists collected blood samples from UAE nationals in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and from Egyptians, Indians and Pakistanis.

The samples were collected from UAE blood banks in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and from the blood of suspects and victims of crimes in Abu Dhabi that were sent to the Abu Dhabi Forensic Laboratory.

The samples were from 100 people from Sharjah, 129 from Abu Dhabi, 121 from Indians, 120 from Pakistanis, and 121 from Egyptians, said the report.

The tests, conducted with the most powerful tools in DNA testing, showed greater similarities between the three Arab groups in comparison with the Indians and Pakistanis groups.

The scientists noted that their work could be used for obtaining reliable STR typing results in forensic analysis and other human identification applications.

"When data for the two UAE populations were analysed, there was no evidence of substructure between the two groups, which may be true for the other emirates in case of future research. That may lead to a single database that can be used for the UAE native population in the future," said the report of the scientists.

DNA databases are commonly used throughout the world to identify victims of accidents such as plane, train, or car crisis when only a few bodily remains are available to identify people.

In addition, forensic DNA analysis is a helpful tool in identifying individuals in mass graves, war soldiers or prisoners of wars whose bodies have been charred.

The scientists said that the database offers the means to solve the most intractable cases of unknown people in which skulls, bones or other parts of the human body are found from the oceans or deserts.

"First, it can help solve many forensic cases and mysteries with little or no information, and assist in the investigation of dead people who have no identity or known relatives in UAE, or unknown newborn or deceased babies," the said.

What is DNA?
The molecule of heredity that determines traits

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life (and many viruses).

DNA is often referred to as the molecule of heredity, as it is responsible for the genetic propagation of most inherited traits. During reproduction, DNA is replicated and transmitted to the offspring.

Forensic scientists can use DNA located in blood, or hair left at the scene of a crime to identify a possible suspect, a process called DNA profiling or genetic fingerprinting. In DNA profiling the relative lengths of sections of repetitive DNA are compared.

DNA profiling was developed in 1984 by English geneticist Alec Jeffries, and was first used in 1986 in the Enderby murders case in Leicester-shire, England.

Many jurisdictions require convicts of certain types of crimes to provide a sample of DNA for inclusion in a computerised database.

This has helped investigators solve old cases where the perpetrator was unknown and only a DNA sample was obtained from the scene. This method is one of the most reliable techniques for identifying a criminal, but is not always perfect.

Source: Wikipedia