After DNA test then what?
DNA sample acquiring and testing is the first step. After the result have been obtained “then what?” is the question. The first and foremost factor that would play a part in the reply to this question is whether there is any individual for or against whom this sample would be compared with.
In cases where there is an individual with whom the sample and the results obtained from the sample would be checked against - as is the case in Paternity Tests, for example - a similarity would make the case conclusive and dissimilarity would make the case non conclusive. By these two terms it means that the individual would either be a strong contender for being the particular person or may not. There are many a cases where no conclusive result is obtained. However in each case the test result cannot be taken as the biblical truth of the case and needs to be substantiated with other circumstantial evidence.
There is however cases where no suspect or perpetuator of a particular crime is found to compare the DNA result with. In such cases there is a database of DNA profiles stored of individuals with previous records and the sample is checked against this database.
The FBI which is one agency that takes up quite a wide spectrum of serious criminal offences has a method termed Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS. This software allows laboratories that conduct DNA tests to compare their test result with the database held by the FBI. This method is of great help to many an investigating agency for it provides them something called “cold hits” which helps in commencing the investigation having a suspect at hand.
It is not only the FBI and such criminal proceedings that are helped by the DNA testing methods. Even cases like paternity testing, medical disorders that have been inherited and their diagnosis, or even identification or establishing of historical relics have been successful due to the process of DNA testing.
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