In the recent killing of Osama bin Laden, the government resorted a variety of different methods to confirm the identity of the body that was thought to be bin Laden’s. One of the methods they used to confirm the body’s identity was DNA analysis. As we have previously discussed in class, when analyzing DNA analysts look for matches from a sequence of small, repeating markers at different locations on a person’s genome. According to FBI’s forensic analysts, the team relies on 13 DNA regions that are different for each individual. They use this data to create a genetic profile and compare it to other genetic profiles.
According to Dr. Victor Weedn, a forensic pathologist who helped pioneer the military’s DNA identification program, said that it would not be uncommon for the government to have samples of bin Laden’s DNA. These stored samples of DNA were tested and compared to the samples taken from the body, and resulted in a match.
In addition to matching the DNA from the body to past samples of bin Laden’s DNA, experts also used a familial DNA approach. According to reports, one bin Laden’s sisters died at a hospital in Boston while being treated for cancer. Authorities decided to release her body for DNA sampling so that it could be compared to the body that was killed. When comparing the DNA of siblings, it has a 50% match, so authorities were able to hone in on specific areas and decided that the two samples were in fact a match.
Many Americans were curious as to how the DNA match was be performed so quickly. This is because instead of DNA sequencing, which is very time consuming and involves comparing entire strands of DNA, officials used a DNA matching approach. They created reference samples of bin Laden’s DNA along with the sample of DNA they had of his sister, along with multiple other family members. They then brought in the new sample of DNA from the body in which they killed to compare it to these reference samples. Analysts looked for repeats in the DNA patterns, as they came across more repeats in the patterns, they concluded that the body was in fact Osama bin Laden’s.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/02/bin.laden.body.id/index.html
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