DNA vs. Hair Analysis: Should They Be Admissible in a Court of Law?

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective of my experiment was to determine which method is more reliable: forensic DNA analysis or microscopic hair analysis. I wanted to learn whether or not both these methods should be admissible in court and if they are reliable enough to convict a criminal suspect. Methods/Materials I used a Buccal Swab kit to do a PCR reaction, and a microscope for the hair analysis. During the DNA analysis, I took cheek swab samples, ran them in a thermal cycler to multiply them, and then ran a gel to find their length. Finally, I placed the gel under UV light to measure the number of base pairs.During the hair analysis, I took hair samples from 15 individuals and examined under the microscope such as reflectivity, medulla, cortex, and many others. Results I was able to identify 9 out of 15 individuals using hair analysis. With DNA analysis, I could correctly identify all of the "suspects." I determined that people within a certain ethnicity and hair color tend to have similar characteristics which make them hard to discriminate from eachother. Conclusions/Discussion When my tests were complete, I concluded that my hypothesis was correct. I could correctly identify 100% of my subjects using DNA, compared to 54% of my subjects during hair analysis. Therefore, hair analysis should not be admissible in court when used as evidence to convict a criminal, but DNA analysis can be relied on as an accurate method of identification.

Awards (1)

• Honorable Mention

Competition history

• CSEF 2008 Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology · Entry J0414

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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