adminRobin Muchetu Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS have been urged to take up DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) profiling in a bid to have crime and other related issues solved without hassles.
Mr Zephaniah Dhlamini, the chairman of the Department of Applied Biology in Biochemistry at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), told Sunday News that DNA profiling was an essential piece of technology.
DNA profiling, also called DNA testing or typing, is a technique employed by scientists to identify individuals by characteristics of biological make-up. DNA profiles are a small set of DNA variations that are very likely to be different in all unrelated individuals.
“Individuals have unique DNA from each other such that we can separate each individual from the other and we at Nust are calling on people to come for profiling on a voluntary basis so that we have a copy of their DNA profile,” he said.
He said Nust set up a state-of-the-art DNA analysis laboratory with high technology equipment. The facility — Applied Genetic Testing Centre — has a mandate to deliver high quality services in human, livestock and pathogen identification through DNA usage.
Mr Dlamini said for individuals to have their DNA sampled, it would cost $100.
“Profiling will cost each individual $100 and a person will have their DNA certificate which will have all the necessary information about them,” Mr Dlamini said.
This information, he said, was crucial in the event that a person faces a violent death and cannot be positively identified by merely looking at them.
“People can be involved in disasters where they are burnt to death and it is difficult to identify them so when we have DNA profiles of people, we can just retrieve the information and get a sample from the charred remains and match it to what we have,” he said.
He said this would be particularly useful in solving crimes such as rape and murder as the perpetrators can have their DNA stored and the police can have a database sourced from there for such offenders.
“This will help in data basing all criminals so that their DNA is stored for future references. If a crime is committed in certain areas they can do a check on the evidence that is found on the crime scene or on the victim and find a match,” he said.
Mr Dlamini said the Nust centre would also be able to do paternity testing for court cases.
“Disputed paternity cases can also be solved by doing DNA tests and we can do them locally unlike before where samples had to be taken to places like South Africa attracting a high cost,” he said.
He also said in some cases women steal newborn babies or swop babies when they are in hospitals so an aggrieved person could request a maternity test to verify the biological parent.
DNA is found in most cells of the body, including white blood cells, semen, hair roots, and body tissue. Traces of DNA can also be detected in body fluids, such as saliva and perspiration.
Scientists and police officers collect samples of DNA from crime scenes. DNA can also be collected directly from a person using a mouth swab (which collects inner cheek cells).
Online Reporter