Calling all Gov't conpsiracists

[SilverSurfer]

Recently in the news locally, there was a fire that burnt down a building at our raceway track in the spring. They brought in a suspect this week by DNA testing on a poweraide bottle that was found at the site.

Here's a question, how the heck did they find that out? If one is arrested it's merely finger prints, dont believe they pull blood.

Got to thinking about it, think perhaps each time a child is born, a DNA file is created in branch of gov't somewhere?

 

[er1c_the_reefer]

contrary to popular belief, blood is usually not a main source of DNA used in identification. they can use it, but since normal RBC lack nuclei, it would be easier to use another source of DNA, like the saliva samples found on the bottle of powerade. only minute amonut of DNA needs to be isolated, because they can then do PCRs to obtain what they need for testing. if you have a criminal record, they government might already have your DNA on file, so if you link up, you're screwed.

 

[Teeka]

Also if you are in the military or have been in the last 16 years then the goverment does have a dna database. I know this because my hubby was in the Army. Before Desert Storm all military was dnaed.

 

[SilverSurfer]

Yea says on military id card ur blood type. technology these days geesh

 

[jc_reefer]

yup! thats the beauty of it... like er1c_the_reefer said, they only need a tiny smaple, and PCR is actually an easy process to do that they used machines for... its quite amazing actually how they can create so many copies of a person's DNA from just a tiny saliva sample. I did PCR in a lab onces and it is so cool to know how this process is carried out, its quite simple, but time consuming to get a lot of copies which is why machines do it.

 

[surfn]

yay! some people paid attention in biochemistry class! ;)

I did PCR in a lab onces and it is so cool to know how this process is carried out, its quite simple, but time consuming to get a lot of copies which is why machines do it.

i didnt ever really consider transfering things 0.5-5 micro liters very easy....lol

but yes, its quite a simple procedure. i learned the hardest part about doing biotech work like that is human error in transfering samples......thus why machines take control of it with much more precision and repeatability.

 

[jc_reefer]

Haha, yea, its a pain transerring it back and forth to the different temps, and your right a lot of room for error... I got really good with micropipettors, so it was fairly easy, I loved using those things, i thought they were so cool.. I'll miss that lab... but not all the outside work that goes with it... Anyways... time to get this thread back on topic, lol

 

[surfn]

Haha, yea, its a pain transerring it back and forth to the different temps, and your right a lot of room for error... I got really good with micropipettors, so it was fairly easy, I loved using those things, i thought they were so cool.. I'll miss that lab... but not all the outside work that goes with it... Anyways... time to get this thread back on topic, lol

my worst experience with pipette transfering was an experiment i was working on, and i *thought* i transferred my SNIPS to the DNA....of course, it was like 0.5 uL.....so you can't exactly see that with your eye. 3 days later and countless hours of work, after i finally ran the gel.....nothing divided.....DOH!

 

[jc_reefer]

Whoops! Yea, ours didnt work out all that great either... not sure what happened but like you said, lots of room for human error in stuff like that..

 

[SilverSurfer]

dang nerds LOL!

 

[jc_reefer]

haha hey! im a microbiology major :) goin into my 3rd year of undergrad.. I am a nerd and im proud of it :D

 

[SilverSurfer]

I never really got biology/chemistry in school, but after taking up the aquarium hobby, have a much better understanding of genetics and water molecules. Shows that it's all in presentation in how to learn things. Now am agent with IRS :D

 

[jc_reefer]

thats awesome! yea, i love learning in the context of this hobby

 

[surfn]

don't hate the playa......hate the game ;)

 

[SilverSurfer]

don't hate the playa......hate the game ;)

:hammer: :hammer:

 

[J. Montgomery]

Measuring 0.5 microliters is easy if you have the right molecular biology tools around (P2 pipetter)! I do it routinely. PCR reactions typically begin with anywhere from 50 - 1000ng (1ng = 0.000000001 grams!).

As for the conspiracy theory that the government keeps DNA samples of everyone . . . thats wack. It would take a huge amount of resources to do that, and the benefit of having all those samples wouldn't be worth the effort.

 

[surfn]

:hammer: :hammer:

hahaha LOVE THAT MOVIE!!!! :laughing3::laughing3::laughing3: