Thanks to an enzyme in a micro-organism found at a volcanic vent on Antarctica’s Mt Erebus, researchers at New Zealand’s Auckland and Waikato Universities and Australia’s Macquarie University have found a way to decrease the time it takes to test DNA. For example, in traditional methods of DNA testing there are 20 steps to extract DNA from a crime-scene sample of hair or other material, which takes about two days. In this new method, there is only one step which only takes four hours, according to Auckland University microbiologist Dr David Saul.
The new testing kits are expected to be marketed internationally in about six months.
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New DNA test method could speed crime solving
Pesonal take on the subject? It’s about time. There’s no reason why it should take as long as it does to data type the DNA in an object. This new technique should be able to drastically decrease the time it takes to solve major crimes.
