While ubiquitous now in some of our favorite true crime shows, the technique of using DNA samples to identify potential criminals started making its way into the forensic world by chance — and still is not as popular or helpful as one might think.
Who Invented DNA Profiling?
The method for DNA profiling as we know it today is largely attributed to Sir Alec Jeffreys, a British geneticist. Jeffreys' groundbreaking work led to real-world applications, from immigration disputes to solving heinous crimes.
When he first talked about how helpful this could be in real life — for paternity tests or rape cases — many of his colleagues "fell over laughing," he says in the interview.
