JONBENÉT RAMSEY: DNA TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS HOW HAS NEW DNA TECHNOLOGY HELPED JONBENÉT’S MURDER CASE? 1920s >> Blood Typing 1930s >> Serological Testing 1970s >> HLA Testing 1980s >> DNA Testing Using RFLP Technique 1990s >> DNA Testing Using PCR Technology

DNA: 1920 In the 1920s scientists discovered 4 different blood types in human. Blood types are genetically inherited. “ If a child had Type A blood and the child's mother had Type AB blood, the child's biological father could have any of the 4 blood types. This means that based on blood typing alone, no man could be excluded as the child's father.” technology/dna-history-1920.html

DNA: 1950S In the 1950s was when the structure of DNA was discovered.

DNA: THE 1970S The DNA technology in the 70s was very basic. It was fairly easy to get away with murder back then. DNA technology really started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. DNA in the 1970s in Japan the study of Recombinant DNA: (DNA in which one or more segments or genes have been inserted, either naturally or by laboratory manipulation, from a different molecule or from another part of the same molecule, resulting in a new genetic combination.) was one of the many genetic discoveries of the 1970s. In the mid 1970s, scientists turned from blood typing to tissue typing. White blood cells carry a high concentration of human leukocyte antigen (HLA). The types and levels of HLA vary from person to person. This made HLA testing a powerful mode for paternity testing. This testing is not the most ideal though. It requires a large amount of blood to be taken and therefore is very dangerous to infants less than 6 months old.

DNA: THE 1980 S DNA typing was introduced in the mid 1980s. Fingerprinting was first introduced in 1985 by an English geneticist named Alec Jeffreys. Jeffrey discovered that DNA had sequences that were repeated over and over again next to each other. Also, that the number of repeated sections present in a sample could differ from individual to individual. This helped him to create human identity tests. Also In the mid 1980s, a technique was developed called restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). This was the first genetic test to actually use DNA. DNA is inherited by both parents, like HLA blood proteins. RFLP allows scientists to cut out the unique sections of the DNA, which is extracted from blood samples. This technique is also used for paternity testing. This test shows that if they are related, half the child’s DNA should match the father’s and the other half, the mother’s.

DNA: THE 1990S Although developed in the 1980s, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in DNA testing became the standard process for paternity testing in the 1990s.

DNA: 2000 S “Recently, however, scientists have developed a new technique for processing DNA called “touch DNA.” With this technique, scientists can test for DNA without a sample from blood or bodily fluids. As we’ll see, this advance offers many advantages and opens up new opportunities for solving cases.” - When we touch something, we leave skin cells on that object. This technology uses objects that has been touched at a crime scene to gather DNA evidence. With Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR: A process used in DNA identification testing in which one or more specific small regions of the DNA are copied using a DNA polymerase enzyme so that a sufficient amount of DNA is generated for analysis.) analysis, scientists can take a small sample of skin cells and make as many copies of the DNA as they need to perform their analysis. This “touch” DNA cleared JonBenét’s family in the case of her murder in _ html

Because of how long ago this crime was committed, little or no DNA evidence still exists in JonBenét Ramsey’s murder case that is yet to be discovered. DNA is probably no longer helpful in her case, because there is no DNA match in the FBI system. However, DNA technology has cleared the parents which is eliminating suspects for her death. With technology moving advancing at such a fast rate, it is impossible to know the new technology that will be available in the years to come. Nobody knows if this case will ever be solved. The case remains active.