Visit DNA Fingerprinting in Human Health and Society for a thorough explanation of the science behind this much-talked about technique. If you have some background and are looking for good review of the methodology, try an animation of DNA Fingerprinting via Southern Blotting. Shockwave plug-in is required for the animation.

Play Detective

Real-life crimes serve as the background for simulations of DNA fingerprinting. You compare the (highly simplified) DNA profiles to solve three cases. The murder case is a bit grisly, and has the simplest DNA profiles to examine. The other cases are less straightforward. Shockwave plug-in required.

Use other aspects of science to solve crimes at the Genetics Science Learning Center — no plug-ins required.

Ask the expert

Dr. Bruce Weir, a DNA forensics expert, explains many of the less talked about aspects of DNA fingerprinting in this excellent interview. From what you look for at the crime scene, to the possibility of human error affecting the results, Dr. Weir tells all.