Inside the Cell: The Dark Side of Forensic DNA

Murphy (law, New York Univ. Sch. of Law), an authority on forensic DNA, has dual goals with this book: to demonstrate that forensic DNA testing is far different from what we see on TV crime shows, in which testing is immediate and 100 percent reliable, and to point out that, despite the dependability of science, there are several potential systemic pitfalls in how DNA evidence is handled, from collection and analysis to usage in court. She describes the subjectivity that is involved in testing DNA, providing instances of errors and misuse, and clearly documents how DNA testing can and does go wrong, even demonstrating how DNA typing is done and where mistakes can be made. For example, material can be transferred, meaning results may be yielded from a person who had no direct contact with a crime. Furthermore, DNA can mislead, argues the author, detailing the broad concerns of privacy and equality in the way that testing is completed.