Episode 5 - Sir Alec Jeffries and DNA fingerprinting
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Professor Sir Alec Jeffries talks to us about the discovery of DNA \\nfingerprinting, its uses/abuses and its impact on society.
\\n\\nPreview from the Show:
\\n\\nI\\u2019ve been called the father of DNA fingerprinting - I think grandfather is \\nmore appropriate. So basically the baby has grown up and spawned its own \\noffspring \\u2013 so I\\u2019m now granddad \\u2013 and they are thriving. \\u2026But obviously I keep a \\nvery, very great interest in watching\\u2026 just how it\\u2019s being used, and indeed, on \\noccasion how it\\u2019s being misused, or potentially misused. And on that point, I \\nwill certainly stand up and raise these issues.
\\n\\nBARTEL: Can you tell us a little bit about how you \\ndiscovered the technology?
\\n\\nBy glorious accident. The last thing on my mind in the lead up work to \\ndeveloping that first DNA fingerprint was any thought of forensic investigation.
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\\n[Later]:\\nI went back that evening to my home and sat down with my wife Sue \\u2013 very excited \\n\\u2013 and said, look this is what we\\u2019ve come up with; I think we can use it for \\nthis, that, and the other. And she said \\u201cyeah \\u2013 that\\u2019s great, but you\\u2019ve \\nforgotten one thing.\\ufffd? I said "what\\u2019s that", and she said \\u201cimmigration disputes.\\ufffd? \\n\\u2026And at that point, I remember my blood running cold. Because I suddenly \\nthought "immigration \\u2013 that is seriously political; this not science anymore. \\nThis is getting dangerously into the world of politics." But as history would \\nhave it, the very first case was an immigration dispute, and the first \\napplication was in immigration.
First, DNA fingerprinting wouldn\\u2019t have happened without \\nbasic blue skies research; it came out of nowhere \\u2013 it was unpredictable. And \\nsecondly, science is a lot of fun. Without that sense of fun, I wouldn\\u2019t have \\ncome up with this either. I think those are two important messages for the \\npolicy makers, but certainly for the young people of today \\u2013 tomorrow\\u2019s future \\nscientists.
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Links:
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\\n\\t\\n\\tProfessor Sir Alec Jeffries, University of Leicester
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The \\n\\tGene Genius (publication from the University of Leicester)
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\\n\\tSir Alec Jeffries entry on Wikipedia
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\\n\\tDiscovering DNA \\n\\tFingerprinting from the Wellcome Trust
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\\n\\t\\n\\tPioneering DNA Forensics (from NPR)
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\\n\\t\\n\\tPrivacy Fears Over DNA (article from BBC News)
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\\n\\tThe \\n\\tInformer in your Blood (article from The First Post)
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