SMUGGLERS and burglars could now be trapped by something as innocuous as a wood shaving. Forensic scientists have found a way to DNA fingerprint wood, and their discovery could help track illegally logged timber or place a suspect at a crime scene.
Forensic botany is increasingly helping to solve crimes where the trail has gone cold (New Scientist, 2 March, p 33). But genetic fingerprinting can’t be used to pinpoint the origin of timber, because DNA breaks down so quickly after a tree is cut. Also, wood contains substances which inhibit PCR, the standard technique for amplifying specific sections of DNA for identification.…
