Studies suggest that some people may be at increased risk of criminal behavior due to their genes. Such research holds potential for helping judges and juries with some of the difficult decisions they must make, but it also brings a substantial risk of misinterpretation and misuse within the legal system. Addressing these issues will be of critical importance for upholding … [Read more...] about Courts face Challenges when linking Genetics to Criminal Behavior
Dna
Genes, Adversity linked to Crime in Incarcerated Sample
Researchers at Sam Houston State University have found a genetic characteristic that interacts with childhood adversity to predict higher rates of crime in an incarcerated sample. The study is the first in a series that will examine contributions of genetic and environmental variations to criminal behavior. Published in Psychiatric Genetics, this study examines the role of … [Read more...] about Genes, Adversity linked to Crime in Incarcerated Sample
New method rescues DNA from contaminated Neandertal bones
Retrieval of ancient DNA molecules is usually performed with special precautions to prevent DNA from researchers or the environment to get mixed in with the DNA from the fossil. However, many ancient fossils have been lying in museum collection for decades, and are contaminated with present-day human DNA before they enter the DNA-laboratory A new method presented in the … [Read more...] about New method rescues DNA from contaminated Neandertal bones
Is DNA Available from a Child Cold Case Murder 40 years ago?
Back in 1976, a boy named Donald Miles Whaley, just 12 years old, liked to hang out at a local shopping center. Barbara Dyer Channell, who at the time worked at May Co., knew Donald - nicknamed Donnie - when he’d go to the department store to play its juke box. At the time, "His family lived down the street from my family on Graves Avenue", Barbara said. Now, after all … [Read more...] about Is DNA Available from a Child Cold Case Murder 40 years ago?
Pioneering Forensics Research into Body Fluids in Sexual Assaults
Research student Kimberley Bexon's passion for DNA analysis means she is playing a key role in a project at the University of Huddersfield that should be a major aid in the investigation of sex offences. Now she is to receive financial backing from the Chartered Society of Forensic Science (previously known as the Forensic Science Society), which has awarded her a … [Read more...] about Pioneering Forensics Research into Body Fluids in Sexual Assaults
