DNK i ee chelovek: Kratkaya istoriya DNK-identifikacii
Elena Kleshchenko
Elena Kleshchenko's book is addressed to everyone who is interested in the practical application of the achievements of genetics in such areas as criminalistics, genealogy, and history. We are talking about the possibility of identifying a person by his genetic material. The author talks about the methods of DNA research and about those who stood at their origins: Sir Alec Jeffreys, who invented DNA fingerprinting; eccentric Kary Mullis, who managed to multiply a single DNA molecule to noticeable quantities, and other heroes of "scientific detectives". The detective line continues with a story about finding criminals using DNA analysis - from Jack the Ripper to modern maniacs and terrorists. Historical investigations are no less fascinating: who Rurik was - a Slav or a Scandinavian, how many descendants Genghis Khan left, whether the Duke of Monmouth was the son of the King of England. Why are specialists confident in the accuracy of the identification of the remains of Nicholas II and his family (and why do non-specialists doubt)? In conclusion, the reader will learn why it is impossible to invent biological weapons against a certain ethnic group, whether it is possible to reconstruct the appearance from DNA, and whether it is dangerous to put your genome on the Internet.
