Indeed, it is in the area of criminal investigation that DNA fingerprinting has had its most profound impact.

BBC: Sir Alec Jeffreys (PA)

However, Sir Alec Jeffries - the founding father of DNA fingerprinting - also said he was worried about the project.

BBC: Millions ploughed into 'gene bank'

We did the DNA fingerprinting and the results suggest--I mean, absolutely stunning.

NPR: Pioneering DNA Forensics

And that was certainly true for DNA fingerprinting.

NPR: Pioneering DNA Forensics

DNA-fingerprinting technique was unsuitable for use in criminal cases, for a number of reasons.

ECONOMIST: CASE HISTORY: DNA's detective story | The

DNA-fingerprinting techniques to distinguish human waste from the non-human variety.

ECONOMIST: Pollution detection

He suggested the court had opened the door to wider use of mandatory DNA sampling by government, much as fingerprinting has spread far beyond the precinct house.

WSJ: Supreme Court: Police Can Take DNA Samples in Arrests

It means that if, despite precautions, the Frankenbug does get out, its entirely harmless presence would be detectible in any given sample by straightforward DNA amplification technology of the sort used in genetic fingerprinting.

ECONOMIST: Artificial lifeforms

Sequenom is developing a high-speed "bacterial fingerprinting" technique based on mass spectrometry that can be used to rapidly identify the DNA of subtly different strains of bacteria or viruses.

FORBES: Biotechs See Dollar Signs In War

Their genetic "bar codes, " based on DNA sequences unrelated to appearance or song, completely overlap meaning that the species cannot be identified from genetic fingerprinting.

WSJ: Matt Ridley on the Possible Formation of a Species | Mind & Matter