The shrimp enzyme may make it easier to judge rapists – forskning.no

Samples are taken after a rape, in certain cases, contain large amounts of DNA from aggrieved, mixed with some DNA from the perpetrator.

And to get the DNA from the sperm must now wash sperm by rinsing them repeatedly to remove DNA from the victim. This work is done by hand, which is time consuming and it may be detrimental to simultaneously wash away sperm.

A special enzyme from arctic shrimp has been shown to be able to wash the DNA traces from rape so well that Researchers at Straight Genetic Centre in Tromsø believe they have found a method that will improve the way laboratories work on rape cases.

Eating victim’s DNA

Put simply eat shrimp enzyme up DNA from victims and allows the DNA from the sperm stay again.

– A sperm is quite robust since it is to survive a natural environment, and therefore survive it too enzyme, explains Lars Uhlin-Hansen, Managing Director at Straight Genetic center.

– It increases your chance of getting a clean DNA profile of the perpetrator, which in turn will strengthen the evidentiary weight of the track, says Gunn Hege Olsen, associate and project manager at the University of Tromsø.

Strong evidence in court

She believes the method is more efficient, safer and will cause the DNA evidence is stronger in the right, and thus gives the judge a better basis for to consider the evidence.

method must now be quality assured before it can be used, and the researchers hope that the process can be automated, which would be a great advantage for laboratories to analyze many samples.

Forensic Genetic Center at the University of Tromsø doing research, but has also recently been granted accreditation for including DNA analysis of trace samples.