Forensic A forensic database is a centralized DNA database for storing DNA profiles of individuals that enables searching and comparing of DNA samples collected from a crime scene against stored profiles. The most important function of the
forensic database is to produce matches between the suspected individual and crime scene bio-markers, and then provides evidence to support criminal investigations, and also leads to identify potential suspects in the criminal investigation. Majority of the National DNA databases are used for forensic purposes. The
Interpol DNA database is used in criminal investigations. Interpol maintains an automated DNA database called DNA Gateway that contains DNA profiles submitted by member countries collected from crime scenes, missing persons, and unidentified bodies. The DNA Gateway was established in 2002, and at the end of 2013, it had more than 140,000 DNA profiles from 69 member countries. Unlike other DNA databases, DNA Gateway is only used for information sharing and comparison, it does not link a DNA profile to any individual, and the physical or psychological conditions of an individual are not included in the database.
Medical A medical DNA database is a DNA database of medically relevant genetic variations. It collects an individual's DNA which can reflect their medical records and lifestyle details. Through recording DNA profiles, scientists may find out the interactions between the genetic environment and occurrence of certain diseases (such as cardiovascular disease or cancer), and thus finding some new drugs or effective treatments in controlling these diseases. It is often collaborated with the National Health Service.
National A national DNA database is a DNA database maintained by the government for storing DNA profiles of its population. Each DNA profile based on PCR uses STR (Short Tandem Repeats) analysis. They are generally used for forensic purposes, including searching and matching DNA profiles of potential criminal suspects. In 2009
Interpol reported 54 police national DNA databases in the world and 26 more countries planned to start one. In Europe Interpol reported there were 31 national DNA databases and six more planned. Other countries have adopted privately developed DNA databases, such as Qatar. Typically, a tiny subset of the individual's genome is sampled from 13 or 16 regions that have high individuation.
United Kingdom The first national DNA database in the
United Kingdom was established in April 1995, called
National DNA Database (NDNAD). By 2006, it contained 2.7 million DNA profiles (about 5.2% of the UK population), as well as other information from individuals and crime scenes. in 2020 it had 6.6 million profiles (5.6 million individuals excluding duplicates). The information is stored in the form of a digital code, which is based on the nomenclature of each STR. In 1995 the database originally had 6 STR markers for each profile, from 1999 10 markers, and from 2014, 16 core markers and a gender identifier. Scotland has used 21 STR loci, two Y-DNA markers and a gender identifier since 2014. In the UK, police have wide-ranging powers to take DNA samples and retain them if the subject is convicted of a recordable offence. As the large amount of DNA profiles which have been stored in NDNAD, "cold hits" may happen during the DNA matching, which means finding an unexpected match between an individual's DNA profile and an unsolved crime-scene DNA profile. This can introduce a new suspect into the investigation, thus helping to solve the old cases. In England and Wales, anyone arrested on suspicion of a
recordable offence must submit a DNA sample, the profile of which is then stored on the DNA database. Those not charged or not found guilty have their DNA data deleted within a specified period of time. In Scotland, the law similarly requires the DNA profiles of most people who are acquitted be removed from the database.
New Zealand New Zealand was the second country to set up a DNA database. In 2019 The New Zealand DNA Profile Databank held 40,000 DNA profiles and 200,000 samples.
United States The
United States national DNA database is called
Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). It is maintained at three levels: national, state and local. Each level implemented its own DNA index system. The national DNA index system (NDIS) allows DNA profiles to be exchanged and compared between participated laboratories nationally. Each state DNA index system (SDIS) allows DNA profiles to be exchanged and compared between the laboratories of various states and the local DNA index system (LDIS) allows DNA profiles collected at local sites and uploaded to SDIS and NDIS. CODIS software integrates and connects all the DNA index systems at the three levels. CODIS is installed on each participating laboratory site and uses a standalone network known as Criminal Justice Information Systems
Wide Area Network (CJIS WAN) to connect to other laboratories. In order to decrease the number of irrelevant matches at NDIS, the Convicted Offender Index requires all 13 CODIS
STRs to be present for a profile upload. Forensic profiles only require 10 of the STRs to be present for an upload. As of 2011, over 9 million records were held within CODIS. As of March 2011, 361,176 forensic profiles and 9,404,747 offender profiles have been accumulated, making it the largest DNA database in the world. As of the same date, CODIS has produced over 138,700 matches to requests, assisting in more than 133,400 investigations. The growing public approval of DNA databases has seen the creation and expansion of many states' own DNA databases. Political measures such as
California Proposition 69 (2004), which increased the scope of the DNA database, have already met with a significant increase in numbers of investigations aided. Forty-nine states in the
USA, all apart from Idaho, store DNA profiles of violent offenders, and many also store profiles of suspects. A 2017 study showed that DNA databases in U.S. states "deter crime by profiled offenders, reduce crime rates, and are more cost-effective than traditional law enforcement tools". which also runs the
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. UNTCHI can sequence both nuclear and
mitochondrial DNA. The Department of Defense maintains a DNA database to identify the remains of service members. The
Department of Defense Serum Repository maintains more than 50,000,000 records, primarily to assist in the identification of human remains. Submission of DNA samples is mandatory for US servicemen, but the database also includes information on military dependents. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2003 provided a means for federal courts or military judges to order the use of the DNA information collected to be made available for the purpose of investigation or prosecution of a felony, or any sexual offense, for which no other source of DNA information is reasonably available.
Australia The
Australian national DNA database is called the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database (NCIDD). By July 2018, it contained 837,000+ DNA profiles. The database used nine STR loci and a sex gene for analysis, and this was increased to 18 core markers in 2013. NCIDD combines all forensic data, including DNA profiles, advanced bio-metrics or cold cases.
Canada The Canadian national DNA database is called the
National DNA Data Bank (NDDB) which was established in 1998 but first used in 2000. The legislation that Parliament enacted to govern the use of this technology within the criminal justice system has been found by Canadian courts to be respectful of the constitutional and privacy rights of suspects, and of persons found guilty of designated offences. On December 11, 1999, The Canadian Government agreed upon the
DNA Identification Act. This would allow a Canadian DNA data bank to be created and amended for the criminal code. This provides a mechanism for judges to request the offender to provide blood, buccal swabs, or hair samples from DNA profiles. This legislation became official on June 29, 2000. Canadian police has been using forensic DNA evidence for over a decade. It has become one of the most powerful tools available to law enforcement agencies for the administration of justice. NDDB consists of two indexes: the Convicted Offender Index (COI) and National Crime Scene Index (CSI-nat). There is also the Local Crime Scene Index (CSI-loc) which is maintained by local laboratories but not NDDB as local DNA profiles do not meet NDDB collection criteria. Another National Crime Scene Index (CSI-nat) is a collection of three labs operated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Laboratory Sciences Judiciary Medicine Legal (LSJML) and Center of Forensic Sciences (CFS).
Dubai In 2017
Dubai announced an initiative called Dubai 10X which was planned to create 'disruptive innovation' into the country. One of the projects in this initiative was a DNA database that would collect the genomes of all 3 million citizens of the country over a 10-year period. It was intended to use the data base for finding genetic causes of diseases and creating personalised medical treatments.
Germany Germany set up its DNA database for the
German Federal Police (BKA) in 1998. In late 2010, the database contained DNA profiles of over 700,000 individuals and in September 2016 it contained 1,162,304 entries. On 23 May 2011 in the "Stop the DNA Collection Frenzy!" campaign various civil rights and data protection organizations handed an open letter to the
German minister of justice Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger asking her to take action in order to stop the "preventive expansion of DNA data-collection" and the "preemptive use of mere suspicions and of the state apparatus against individuals" and to cancel projects of international exchange of DNA data at the European and transatlantic level.
Israel The Israeli national DNA database is called the Israel Police DNA Index System (IPDIS) which was established in 2007, and has a collection of more than 135,000 DNA profiles. The collection includes DNA profiles from suspected and accused persons and convicted offenders. The Israeli database also include an “elimination bank” of profiles from laboratory staff and other police personnel who may have contact with the forensic evidence in the course of their work. In order to handle the high throughput processing and analysis of DNA samples from FTA cards, the Israeli Police DNA database has established a semi-automated program LIMS, which enables a small number of police to finish processing a large number of samples in a relatively small period of time, and it is also responsible for the future tracking of samples.
Kuwait The Kuwaiti government passed a law in July 2015 requiring all citizens and permanent residents (4.2 million people) to have their DNA taken for a national database. The reason for this law was security concerns after the
ISIS suicide bombing of the Imam Sadiq mosque. They planned to finish collecting the DNA by September 2016 which outside observers thought was optimistic. In October 2017 the Kuwait constitutional court struck down the law saying it was an invasion of personal privacy and the project was cancelled.
Brazil In 1998, the Forensic DNA Research Institute of Federal District Civil Police created DNA databases of
sexual assault evidence. In 2012,
Brazil approved a national law establishing DNA databases at state and national levels regarding DNA typing of individuals convicted of violent crimes.
Russia In
Russia, scientific DNA testing is being actively carried out in order to study the genetic diversity of the peoples of Russia in the framework of the state task - to learn from DNA to determine the probable territory of human origin based on data on the majority of the peoples of the country. On June 16, 2017, the Council of Ministers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia adopted Resolution No. 26, in which it approved the scientific and technical program of the Union State "Development of innovative genogeographic and genomic technologies for identification of personality and individual characteristics of a person based on the study of gene pools of the regions of the Union State" (DNA - identification). Within the framework of this program, it is also planned to include the peoples of neighboring countries, which are the main source of migration, into the genogeographic study on the basis of existing collections. In accordance with the Federal Law of December 3, 2008 No. 242-FZ "On state genomic registration in the Russian Federation", voluntary state genomic registration of citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as foreign citizens and stateless persons living or temporarily staying in the territory of the Russian Federation on the basis of a written application and on a paid basis. Genomic information obtained as a result of state genomic registration is used, among other things, for the purpose of establishing family relationships of wanted (identified) persons. The form of keeping records of data on genomic registration of citizens is the Federal Genomic Information Database (FBDGI). Articles 10 and 11 of the Federal Law of July 27, 2006 No. 152-FZ "On Personal Data" provide that the processing of special categories of personal data relating to race, nationality, political views, religious or philosophical beliefs, health status, intimate life is allowed if it is necessary in connection with the implementation of international agreements of the Russian Federation on readmission and is carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on citizenship of the Russian Federation. Information characterizing the physiological and biological characteristics of a person, on the basis of which it is possible to establish his identity (biometric personal data), can be processed without the consent of the subject of personal data in connection with the implementation of international agreements of the Russian Federation on readmission, administration of justice and execution of judicial acts, compulsory state fingerprinting registration, as well as in cases stipulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation on defense, security, anti-terrorism, transport security, anti-corruption, operational investigative activities, public service, as well as in cases stipulated by the criminal-executive legislation of Russia, the legislation of Russia on the procedure for leaving the Russian Federation and entering the Russian Federation, citizenship of the Russian Federation and notaries.
Other European countries In comparison with the other European countries, The
Netherlands is the largest collector of DNA profiles of its citizens. At this moment the DNA databank at the
Netherlands Forensic Institute contains the DNA profiles of over 316,000 Dutch citizens. Contrary to the situation in most other European countries, the Dutch police have wide-ranging powers to take and retain DNA samples if a subject is convicted of a recordable offence, except when the conviction only involves paying a fine. If a subject refuses, for example because of privacy concerns, the Dutch police will use force. In
Sweden, only the DNA profiles of criminals who have spent more than two years in prison are stored. In
Norway and
Germany, court orders are required, and are only available, respectively, for serious offenders and for those convicted of certain offences and who are likely to reoffend. Austria started a criminal DNA database in 1997 and
Italy also set one up in 2016 Switzerland started a temporary criminal DNA database in 2000 and confirmed it in law in 2005. In 2005 the incoming
Portuguese government proposed to introduce a DNA database of the entire population of Portugal. However, after informed debate including opinion from the Portuguese Ethics Council the database introduced was of just the criminal population. Genuity Science (formerly Genomics Medicine Ireland) is an Irish life sciences company that was founded in 2015 to create a scientific platform to perform genomic studies and generate new disease prevention strategies and treatments. The company was founded by a group of life science entrepreneurs, investors and researchers and its scientific platform is based on work by
Amgen’s Icelandic subsidiary,
deCODE genetics, which has pioneered genomic
population health studies. The company is building a genomic database which will include data from about 10 per cent of the Irish population, including patients with various diseases and healthy people. The idea of a private company owning public DNA data has raised concerns, with an
Irish Times editorial stating: "To date, Ireland seems to have adopted an entirely commercial approach to genomic medicine. This approach places at risk the free availability of genomic data for scientific research that could benefit patients." The paper's editorial pointed out that this is in stark contrast to the approach the U.K. has taken, which is the publicly and charitably funded 100,000 Genomes Project being carried out by
Genomics England.
China By 2020, Chinese police had collected 80 million DNA profiles. There have been concerns that China may be using DNA data not just for crime solving, but for tracking activists, including
Uyghurs. Chinese have begun a $9 billion program for genetic science studying, Fire-Eye has DNA labs in over 20 countries.
India India announced it will launch its
genomic database by fall 2019. In the first phase of "Genome India" the genomic data of 10,000 Indians will be catalogued. The
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) has initiated the project. The first private DNA bank in India is in Lucknow - the capital of Indian State Uttar Pradesh. Unlike a research center, this is available for Public to store their DNA by paying a minimum amount and four drops of blood.
Corporate •
Ancestry was reported to have collected 14 million DNA samples as of November 2018. •
23andme's DNA database contained genetic information of over nine million people worldwide by 2019. The company explores selling the "anonymous aggregated genetic data" to other researchers and pharmaceutical companies for research purposes if patients give their consent. Ahmad Hariri, professor of psychology and neuroscience at
Duke University who has been using 23andMe in his research since 2009 states that the most important aspect of the company's new service is that it makes genetic research accessible and relatively cheap for scientists. •
My Heritage said their database had 2.5 million profiles in 2019. •
Family Tree DNA was reported they had about two million people in their database in 2019. ==Compression==