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From: toms@ncifcrf.gov (Tom Schneider)
Newsgroups: sci.med,sci.bio,sci.misc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: DNA "finger printing"
Keywords: Need References, Scientific, Legal, or otherwise
Message-ID: <523@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov>
Date: 13 Jul 88 16:30:23 GMT
References: <1605@uop.edu>
Reply-To: toms@ncifcrf.gov (Tom Schneider)
Organization: NCI Supercomputer Center, Frederick, MD
Lines: 28


I think that the initial reference is:

@article{Scharf1986,
author = "S. J. Scharf
 and G. T. Horn
 and H. A. Erlich",
title = "Direct Cloning and Sequence Analysis of Enzymatically
Amplified Genomic Sequences",
journal = "Science",
volume = "233",
pages = "1078-1076",
year = "1986"}

You can find all references to that using Science Citation Index
in your local library.  That should keep you busy!
The latest advance is that one can do the amplification
using the DNA from single hairs.  The limit of the technique is a single
DNA molecule, and the luck that it isn't broken.  The accuracy is
as detailed as desired, since one could in theory sequence large chunks
of a persons DNA.  So, since each person (other than twins) is essentially
unique, a single hair may be enough to identify anybody on the planet.
The probability that one is wrong will depend on how much work someone
is willing to do.
  Tom Schneider
  National Cancer Institute
  Laboratory of Mathematical Biology
  Frederick, Maryland
  toms@ncifcrf.gov