5 Strange Uses For DNA Testing

How much do you know about DNA testing? It's a popular tool for most TV sleuths and is often talked about in the papers in relation to paternity cases, but there are many more interesting things it can be used for. Let's take a look at some of them.

Name that Dog
An increasing number of companies are now offering DNA tests for dogs. These can be used by breeders or at dog shows to prove pure lineage, but they potentially have benefits for every dog and its owner. By determining which breeds of dog have been involved in a pet's ancestry, they can help the owner to understand more about its behaviour and can help a vet to work out some of its disease risks, facilitating better preventative health care. Prices are dropping as they reach the mass market, and they offer an intriguing way to get to know a dog better.

What's your Beef?
Following the horse meat scare in Britain earlier this year, there's been renewed interest in DNA testing to find out what's really in food. An increase in the consumption of processed food means it isn't always obvious, and one Irish study found horse DNA in 37% of the beef burger products it tested, and pig DNA in 85%, a big issue for Muslims and Jews. As well as testing food itself, this approach can be used to help identify food contaminants and determine their origins, something that has consumer lawyers excited.

Self-Assessment
Ever wanted to look into your own future? DNA testing can't quite do that for you, but it can give you a picture of how your health is likely to change in years to come. This can give you the chance to take actions such as changing diet and exercise to reduce risks, potentially increasing your life expectancy. You might find that you don't need to worry about a health problem in your family after all, and you might even discover a hidden talent, such as extra-efficient blood oxygen absorption. Understanding your DNA can give you a whole new perspective on life.

The Origin of Species
Ever since Charles Darwin wrote his pivotal book, scientists have been trying to figure out how different species are related to one another. It's not always as obvious as it might look - for instance, bats are more closely related to horses than to mice. DNA testing is now making it possible to test what once seemed crazy theories and is giving a fresh picture of the tree of life. It's getting more interesting still, as it's now possible to recover DNA from some ancient remains, enabling geneticists to identify connections between extinct organisms and those we know today.

Genetic Genealogy
Tracing family trees is an increasingly popular pastime, and DNA tests, such as those offered by Cellmark, are adding a new element to it. Earlier this year, Prince William discovered he had Indian ancestry, leading to a flood of public interest. Experts have criticised those companies offering to tell people which ancient populations they belong to, because we all have diverse ancestry if we go back far enough, but tests that explore connections across just a few generations have a lot more potential, especially if used alongside conventional methods such as checking family documents.

It is increasingly evident that genetic science is set to become a part of our lives, helping us to understand ourselves and the world we live in, in ways we might never have imagined. We need to use it sensibly and be aware of its limitations, but it has a lot more to tell us than simply "whodunit".

Editor's Note: Written by Matt Higgins, a student of forensic science who loves to write about science.

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