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New test to stop illegally logged timber
May 08, 2002SMUGGLERS 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.
Now RZ
The test is so sensitive that it has to be done in sterile conditions to avoid contamination. But it can fingerprint wood that is up to 10 years old, so as well as matching a wood shaving on a burglar`s jemmy to a window frame, it should be able to identify illegally cut tropical hardwoods.
"Illegal logging is pretty extensive in major producing countries," says Dirk Bryant of the World Resources Institute in Washington DC. The illegal timber is often mixed with legally cut wood, making it difficult to identify, says Bryant. But while he agrees that ultra-sensitive PCR could help spot illegal wood, the technique could be widely used only if there is a corresponding database of forest DNA. "You would need to know the genetic information at a detailed level," he says.
Author: James Randerson
New Scientist
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