THE FASCINATING JOURNEY OF FORENSIC DNA ANALYSIS: FROM ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY TO MODERN CRIME SOLVING.

The article focuses on the development and evolution of forensic DNA analysis, tracing its origins from Sir Alec Jeffreys’s accidental discovery of DNA fingerprinting in 1984 to modern crime-solving techniques. It details how DNA profiling advanced from minisatellites to Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), enabling highly sensitive analysis from minimal samples, including touch DNA. Recent innovations at Flinders University include fluorescent dyes to visualize touch DNA, airborne DNA collection methods, and the recognition that pets can carry human DNA, all of which enhance evidence collection but also introduce new contamination challenges. These developments illustrate the ongoing refinement of forensic methods in response to practical investigative needs.