Introduction and overview; State of the art of DNA storage: results of a world wide survey; DNA storage as a complementary conservation strategy; Platforms for DNA banking; The role of bioinformatics in coordinating conservations efforts; DNA banks: a primary resource for conservation research; Tissue collections as a means of storing DNA: a contribution to the conservation of Colombian biodiversity; Opportunities. limitations and needs for DNA banks; A model for DNA banking to enhance the management, distribution and use of ex situ stored PGR.

Explores how the United States and other countries have balanced the use of DNA databanks in criminal justice with the privacy rights of their citizenry, arguing that collecting DNA from those who are arrested, but not charged, can infringe on their constitutional rights and debunking the myth that DNA profiling is infallible.

Matching DNA samples from crime scenes and suspects is rapidly becoming a key source of evidence for use in our justice system. DNA Technology in Forensic Science offers recommendations for resolving crucial questions that are emerging as DNA typing becomes more widespread. The volume addresses key issues: Quality and reliability in DNA typing, including the introduction of new technologies, problems of standardization, and approaches to certification. DNA typing in the courtroom, including issues of population genetics, levels of understanding among judges and juries, and admissibility. Societal issues, such as privacy of DNA data, storage of samples and data, and the rights of defendants to quality testing technology. Combining this original volume with the new update-The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence-provides the complete, up-to-date picture of this highly important and visible topic. This volume offers important guidance to anyone working with this emerging law enforcement tool: policymakers, specialists in criminal law, forensic scientists, geneticists, researchers, faculty, and students.

This is the first report of the DNA Bank-Net, an organization whose goal is to encourage the conservation, collection, and preservation of plant genes. DNA banking and gene retrieval Oligonucleotides from endangered/extinct species Operation of a DNA banking facility The impact of intellectual property rights in developing countries Interim preservation of plants for DNA use Cryopreservation of fruit stocks Critical review of international conservation efforts

The world is facing a biodiversity crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Unless there are radical changes in human behaviour, we can expect significant and alarming species loss in the near future. DNA and tissue banks have great potential as tools for biodiversity conservation, yet few have been established. Arising from a collaborative project on DNA banking, phylogeny and conservation of the South African flora, DNA and Tissue Banking for Biodiversity and Conservation provides the practical and legislative framework necessary to establish more DNA banks and is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the application of genetic technologies to conservation.

In 1992 the National Research Council issued DNA Technology in Forensic Science, a book that documented the state of the art in this emerging field. Recently, this volume was brought to worldwide attention in the murder trial of celebrity O. J. Simpson. The Evaluation of Forensic DNA Evidence reports on developments in population genetics and statistics since the original volume was published. The committee comments on statements in the original book that proved controversial or that have been misapplied in the courts. This volume offers recommendations for handling DNA samples, performing calculations, and other aspects of using DNA as a forensic toolâ€"modifying some recommendations presented in the 1992 volume. The update addresses two major areas: Determination of DNA profiles. The committee considers how laboratory errors (particularly false matches) can arise, how errors might be reduced, and how to take into account the fact that the error rate can never be reduced to zero. Interpretation of a finding that the DNA profile of a suspect or victim matches the evidence DNA. The committee addresses controversies in population genetics, exploring the problems that arise from the mixture of groups and subgroups in the American population and how this substructure can be accounted for in calculating frequencies. This volume examines statistical issues in interpreting frequencies as probabilities, including adjustments when a suspect is found through a database search. The committee includes a detailed discussion of what its recommendations would mean in the courtroom, with numerous case citations. By resolving several remaining issues in the evaluation of this increasingly important area of forensic evidence, this technical update will be important to forensic scientists and population geneticistsâ€"and helpful to attorneys, judges, and others who need to understand DNA and the law. Anyone working in laboratories and in the courts or anyone studying this issue should own this book.