A “DNA
fingerprint” is often mis-understood by the lay public to be
a
single, unique human identifier. Its complex banding patterns
imagined as an unchanging sentence written by mother nature herself
that corresponds to each living creature. However, there are
hundreds of different enzymes, primers and molecular probes that can be
used to segment DNA and produce banding patterns. These
banding
patterns that appear tell us as much about the enzyme/primer/probe as
the subject that they appear to reproduce. (Fig. 4) My point is that
the DNA gel image IS a cultural construct that is often naturalized.
Today, the fingerprint analogy is crucial to the large-scale
implementation of national DNA databases and expanding a disciplinary
agenda. Recent US projects such as the Justice for All Act fit this
description by permitting the retention of DNA data from those simply
accused of a crime. DNA provides much more personal
information
than do real fingerprints and is more vulnerable to speculative and
discriminatory use by employers, health care providers, as well as the
legal system.
The esoteric nature of DNA imaging and analysis has hampered discussion
of the numerous issues raised by its implementation in the social
milieu. The Latent Figure Protocol project seeks to downgrade the
scientific authority of the “DNA
fingerprint”, to the
status of a “portrait” (an association aided by my
own
status as “artist” rather than
“scientist”). |
