Dna
latest news & developments
New forensic science laboratory unveiled in KZN as SAPS grapples with severe DNA backlogs
The privately owned facility was presented in Durban on Friday by Dean Macpherson, the minister of public works and infrastructure.
The God Edition | Searching among the bones for Homo naledi’s soul
Drew Forrest uses one of South Africa’s most important hominid discoveries to debate the paradoxes and contradictions inherent in the religious doctrine of ‘ensoulment’
DNA bungling delays justice for family of slain mother
‘Three years later, the suspect is roaming outside’
New giant tortoise species found on Galápagos after DNA study
Researchers compared the genetic material of tortoises living on San Cristóbal with bones and shells collected in 1906 from a cave in the island’s highlands and found them to be…
What would you do if your loved one’s body was stuck in a mortuary and you couldn’t bury them?
Families have asked the Congress of Traditional Leaders and the Human Rights Commission to intervene after waiting years to bury their loved ones
I am not giving up, says rape survivor Jess Foord
Jes Foord told Lyse Comins that she believes she had to get the horrific ‘degree in rape’ so that she could help thousands of sexual violence victims through her nonprofit…
South Africa at the start of a Covid-19 vaccine the world has never seen
The World Health Organisation has enlisted a team of South African researchers to produce a new mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, but with no recipe to follow, it’s not an easy task
Do you have to take the Covid-19 vaccine or not?
The South African law does not make it mandatory for citizens to be vaccinated, and the same will apply for Covid-19 immunisation. But experts say people still have the…
Forensic science: The danger of relying on a single piece of evidence
Is the evidence used to convict criminals always based on sufficient facts or data? Leletu Tonisi from the Wits Justice Project examines some of the flaws in the system
Covid vaccines: Hope balanced with caution
As Covid vaccines near the manufacturing stage, a look at two polio vaccines provides valuable historical insights
Rare Gabon burial cave reveals clues to African history
There are 30 skeletons in the Iroungou cave, and carbon dating has shown they are from the 14th century. It is only the second cave burial site to be unearthed on the continent
Ethics of gene editing must be decided by each one of us
Our DNA is similar but our societal values are not, which will make it difficult to reach concensus
Africa’s genetic material is still being misused
Legislation as well as academic research governance bodies have failed to safeguard the rights of participants from Africa in genomics research.
A moratorium will not address ethical concerns about gene editing
If we take our commitment to the liberty of the individual seriously, we must accept that people should be allowed to use this technology
Gene editing is risky, but it is worth it
By embarking on this new and daunting path, we are taking on incredible new responsibility