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This illustration shows a saliva collection kit for DNA testing displayed in Washington, D.C., on December 19th, 2018.

Social Justice

Genetic Tests Like 23andMe Promise the Moon and Stars—but What Can They Actually Tell Us?

The darker side of DNA tests reveals itself when a company overpromises their diagnostic abilities, providing an avenue for people to seek astrology-style answers to questions that should be addressed by medical experts.

Jane Hu

Social Justice

The Questionable Ethics of Expanding Forensic DNA Testing

The use of genetic information collected by private companies in criminal investigations raises a number of issues about transparency and privacy.

Benjamin Berkman

Environment

Using DNA to Speed Up Identification of Aquatic Plants

A research team in Canada has tested the use of environmental DNA to ease the process of identifying and surveying aquatic plants.

Sue Palminteri

Former police station in Duluth, Minnestota

Social Justice

A Minnesota Police Department Paves the Way for Eliminating Rape Kit Backlogs

A small town in northern Minnesota is paving the way for police departments in their efforts to process and mitigate huge backlogs of untested rape kits.

Ashley Hackett

News in Brief

Negligent DNA Testing Has Affected Thousands of New York Criminal Cases

New York City's crime lab has been a pioneer nationally in analyzing especially difficult DNA samples. But the recent disclosure of the source code for its proprietary software is raising new questions about accuracy.

Lauren Kirchner