Crónica sobre el impacto de la tecnología del ADN en las Ciencias Forenses

Abstract

The accelerated progress in DNA technologies, during the 1970‘s and 1980‘s had a great impact not only in the Biosciences but also in the areas of Anthropology and Forensic Sciences. For the latter, it has been developed an innovative instrument that has caused a breakthrough in subjects identification, the forensic DNA analysis. Through a set of procedures and techniques which conform the DNA typing, it is expected to analyze the polymorphism concerning to the length of certain repetitive regions of the chromosomes known as minisatellites (VNTR) and/or microsatellites (STR). This work includes the analysis of mitochondrial DNA hypervariable sequences. The discoveries of DNA profiles from British, Alex Jeffreys and the convergence with the polymerase chain reaction technique (PCR) developed by the north-American Kary Mullis are described . This convergence results in the birth of a new discipline, the forensic genetic. Each advance in technology drives a new stage into forensics. As an effect, every new stage originates a controversy in legal, social and ethical aspects. In this account of "DNA test" the most relevant technological innovations and polemics are discussed. It is also exposed how was integrated the DNA typing as part of the criminalistics in Puerto Rico and the expectatives for its role in case resolution.