Anon Poster
05-09-2004, 06:24 PM
DNA Joe Job
10th May 2004
A regular Joe Job is when a spam run is forged to appear as though it
came from an innocent party's domain, which is then generally flooded
by the bounces. A DNA Joe Job is similar in some respects but with
potentially far more serious consequences for the victim and society
as a whole.
An educational biotechnology kit designed to teach students about
recombinant DNA technology via hands-on experiments appeared on the
market a few years ago.
Recombinant DNA technology allows a piece of foreign DNA to be
inserted into a bacterium. By that means, for example, it is possible
to harvest human insulin from bacteria growing in a fermentor.
The kit enables students to insert a piece of their own DNA into the
ubiquitous gut bacterium Escherichia coli. It does so by using a small
circle of DNA called a plasmid as the vector (i.e. delivery system).
Plasmids are found in most types of bacteria along with a single much
larger loop of somatic DNA that determines the bacterium's species. A
plasmid carries one or more genes that confer a survival advantage to
the host, such as, for example, resistance to an antibiotic.
A bacterium can contain thousands of plasmids, each of which can be
passed to members of its own and other species. Useful plasmids
propagate quickly through bacterial colonies.
Bacteria also contain restriction endonuclease enzymes that cut DNA at
specific sites and ligase enzymes that join such cut pieces together.
The kit exploits all of this bacterial biochemistry and includes a
plasmid carrying two genes that confer resistance to the antibiotics
ampicillin and kanamycin, respectively.
The resistance genes, when used with the antibiotics, enable the
students to identify and isolate the bacteria that have taken up the
modified plasmids prepared during various experiments.
The kit's capabilities bore a striking similarity to classified work
carried out at places like Porton Down where biological weapons are
developed using virtually the same techniques.
The kit allows high school students to easily carryout genetic
experiments that took hundreds of leading scientists using expensive
and sophisticated equipment many years to research and develop. A kit
costs a few dollars and fits comfortably into a pocket.
It soon became apparent that the kit also provided the means to carry
out the ultimate Joe Job using DNA rather than a domain name.
Criminal DNA profiling (or fingerprinting) works by measuring the
lengths of Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) found within human DNA using a
process known as PCR. The lengths of approximately 500 STR variations,
known as alleles, at ten (UK) or thirteen (US) locations makes up a
DNA profile. Those STR allele molecules are between 50 and 500 base
pairs in length.
With access to the necessary equipment, it is possible to synthesise
the allele molecules used in profiling (custom-designed allele
molecules can also be purchased online). The molecules require special
"sticky ends" so that the DNA ligase enzyme can join them together.
Eventually, a long strand of DNA carrying profiling alleles and their
PCR primer binding sites can be created.
Custom designed DNA molecules with the correct sticky ends can be
substituted for the student's own DNA at the point in the experiment
where human DNA is inserted into the plasmids. The experiment results
in a culture of E. coli containing a section of DNA carrying human
criminal profiling alleles. The spiked plasmids can be taken up by
many other species of bacteria, too.
Billions of the modified bacteria can then be bred in a home made
fermentor. Every bacterium that acquires the modified plasmid also
acquires an antibiotic resistance gene and the survival advantage it
confers. Modified E coli will swap plasmids with other species of
bacteria. In the environment, STR-loaded plasmids will eventually pass
to bacteria that spread via airborne spores and be blown across the
planet.
Strains of bacteria carrying specially encoded DNA sequences have
already been released into the environment by Porton Down scientists,
who have also developed customised PCR primers to identify the tagged
biological agents used in dispersal experiments.
The opportunities for mischief are endless. The full profile of a
particular individual could be inserted into a plasmid thereby giving
the impression that he or she was present at every crime scene
contaminated with their personalised bacteria.
Random collections of human alleles can be inserted into common
bacteria found in homes, on human skin and within body cavities
(causing bad breath, urinary infections, etc) or in the gut of birds,
rodents, flies and household pets. They would eventually become
widespread posing serious problems for agencies relying on DNA
profiling to identify criminals.
Apart from human allele sequences, plasmids could contain tens of
thousands of modified PCR primer sequences. Their PCR amplification
products would bind to the forward and reverse primers and to the
template DNA primer sites thereby blocking the amplification of one or
more targeted alleles.
The fact that such bacteria exist (or might exist) could introduce
difficulties for prosecutors and new defence arguments for those
defendants against whom DNA evidence is adduced. It might also cause
jurors to pause before accepting the myth of infallibility that has
come to be associated with forensic DNA evidence.
The next time someone discards a cigarette butt or a used tissue, he
or she could become the most famous Joe Job victim on the planet.
Author's details - http://www.scandals.org/articles/pkindex.html
DNA Evidence:
- is it safe to convict?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk020929.html
- science or smoke and mirrors?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk021019.html
- potential panacea or pandemonium?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk021129.html
RNAi: miracle cure, silent killer or weapon of mass destruction?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk030820.html
10th May 2004
A regular Joe Job is when a spam run is forged to appear as though it
came from an innocent party's domain, which is then generally flooded
by the bounces. A DNA Joe Job is similar in some respects but with
potentially far more serious consequences for the victim and society
as a whole.
An educational biotechnology kit designed to teach students about
recombinant DNA technology via hands-on experiments appeared on the
market a few years ago.
Recombinant DNA technology allows a piece of foreign DNA to be
inserted into a bacterium. By that means, for example, it is possible
to harvest human insulin from bacteria growing in a fermentor.
The kit enables students to insert a piece of their own DNA into the
ubiquitous gut bacterium Escherichia coli. It does so by using a small
circle of DNA called a plasmid as the vector (i.e. delivery system).
Plasmids are found in most types of bacteria along with a single much
larger loop of somatic DNA that determines the bacterium's species. A
plasmid carries one or more genes that confer a survival advantage to
the host, such as, for example, resistance to an antibiotic.
A bacterium can contain thousands of plasmids, each of which can be
passed to members of its own and other species. Useful plasmids
propagate quickly through bacterial colonies.
Bacteria also contain restriction endonuclease enzymes that cut DNA at
specific sites and ligase enzymes that join such cut pieces together.
The kit exploits all of this bacterial biochemistry and includes a
plasmid carrying two genes that confer resistance to the antibiotics
ampicillin and kanamycin, respectively.
The resistance genes, when used with the antibiotics, enable the
students to identify and isolate the bacteria that have taken up the
modified plasmids prepared during various experiments.
The kit's capabilities bore a striking similarity to classified work
carried out at places like Porton Down where biological weapons are
developed using virtually the same techniques.
The kit allows high school students to easily carryout genetic
experiments that took hundreds of leading scientists using expensive
and sophisticated equipment many years to research and develop. A kit
costs a few dollars and fits comfortably into a pocket.
It soon became apparent that the kit also provided the means to carry
out the ultimate Joe Job using DNA rather than a domain name.
Criminal DNA profiling (or fingerprinting) works by measuring the
lengths of Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) found within human DNA using a
process known as PCR. The lengths of approximately 500 STR variations,
known as alleles, at ten (UK) or thirteen (US) locations makes up a
DNA profile. Those STR allele molecules are between 50 and 500 base
pairs in length.
With access to the necessary equipment, it is possible to synthesise
the allele molecules used in profiling (custom-designed allele
molecules can also be purchased online). The molecules require special
"sticky ends" so that the DNA ligase enzyme can join them together.
Eventually, a long strand of DNA carrying profiling alleles and their
PCR primer binding sites can be created.
Custom designed DNA molecules with the correct sticky ends can be
substituted for the student's own DNA at the point in the experiment
where human DNA is inserted into the plasmids. The experiment results
in a culture of E. coli containing a section of DNA carrying human
criminal profiling alleles. The spiked plasmids can be taken up by
many other species of bacteria, too.
Billions of the modified bacteria can then be bred in a home made
fermentor. Every bacterium that acquires the modified plasmid also
acquires an antibiotic resistance gene and the survival advantage it
confers. Modified E coli will swap plasmids with other species of
bacteria. In the environment, STR-loaded plasmids will eventually pass
to bacteria that spread via airborne spores and be blown across the
planet.
Strains of bacteria carrying specially encoded DNA sequences have
already been released into the environment by Porton Down scientists,
who have also developed customised PCR primers to identify the tagged
biological agents used in dispersal experiments.
The opportunities for mischief are endless. The full profile of a
particular individual could be inserted into a plasmid thereby giving
the impression that he or she was present at every crime scene
contaminated with their personalised bacteria.
Random collections of human alleles can be inserted into common
bacteria found in homes, on human skin and within body cavities
(causing bad breath, urinary infections, etc) or in the gut of birds,
rodents, flies and household pets. They would eventually become
widespread posing serious problems for agencies relying on DNA
profiling to identify criminals.
Apart from human allele sequences, plasmids could contain tens of
thousands of modified PCR primer sequences. Their PCR amplification
products would bind to the forward and reverse primers and to the
template DNA primer sites thereby blocking the amplification of one or
more targeted alleles.
The fact that such bacteria exist (or might exist) could introduce
difficulties for prosecutors and new defence arguments for those
defendants against whom DNA evidence is adduced. It might also cause
jurors to pause before accepting the myth of infallibility that has
come to be associated with forensic DNA evidence.
The next time someone discards a cigarette butt or a used tissue, he
or she could become the most famous Joe Job victim on the planet.
Author's details - http://www.scandals.org/articles/pkindex.html
DNA Evidence:
- is it safe to convict?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk020929.html
- science or smoke and mirrors?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk021019.html
- potential panacea or pandemonium?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk021129.html
RNAi: miracle cure, silent killer or weapon of mass destruction?
http://www.scandals.org/articles/pk030820.html
