CODIS and the Portuguese DNA Database: Novel Intersections between Biology, Medicine, Informatics, Mathematics, Engineering and Law

At the scope of criminal and forensic investigations, the criminal authorities, health professionals, and many other intervenients can obtain different kinds of samples with biological material. The study of those samples by DNA laboratories can lead to the achievement of genetic profiles. CODIS and similar informatic DNA databases, by storing and managing those genetic profiles, can aid at criminal investigation by linking perpetrators to biological evidence samples. The same way CODIS can aid at human civil identification by linking relatives of missing persons to biological evidence samples. Thus, these novel intersections between biology, medicine, informatics, mathematics, engineering and law can lead to the resolutions of different kinds of crimes as well as other forensic matters such as human civil identification or clarification of kinship relations.