D. Corach, G.A. Penacino, and A. Sala
Servicio de Huellas Digitales Geneticas, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquimica-UBA
Junin 956, 1113 Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Conventional approaches leading to personal identification are chiefly based on individual specific traits such as facial and corporal description that can be recorded as photographs, dactyloscopical attributes registered as blueprints as well as signature. Although these attributes may be highly effective in identifying a person by comparison of a description or a trace with an institutional database containing all photographic, dactyloscopical and calligraphic information of the inhabitants of a nation, it will not allow identification of biological relatives.

Polymorphic DNA makers are shown to be highly efficient tools for biological trace identification by comparison of matching genetic profiles obtained from evidence and suspects, as well as personal identification by comparison of the genetic profiles of an unidentified person with those depicted by potential biological relatives. DNA-based identification technology has been applied since 1985 as a chief research approach, either in forensic casework or in paternity testing.

Identification of fragmentary human remains, arising during catastrophes and mass disasters, by means of DNA typing, proved to be a highly efficient and reliable approach. However, availability of a DNA database would increase in fact the identification efficiency. Providing that all genetic hypervariable markers included in the database are strictly independent to any known pathological trait, the system can be used in a secure and confidential manner. The aim of this presentation is to propose a DNA-based identification system for all the inhabitants of Argentina.