DNA collection

About 6,500 mammal species live on Earth today. Credit from left to right: John Moore/Getty Images; Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP via Getty Images; Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images; Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Science

Welcome to the mammalverse: Scientists sequence DNA from 240 species around the world

4:43pm April 27, 2023

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Researchers have examined the genomes of 240 mammal species. The project reveals when mammals evolved, how some developed the ability to hibernate, and clues that may help explain humans' brains.

A mural marking Black Wall Street, also called the Greenwood District, in Tulsa, Okla. The Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 devastated Black Wall Street and claimed some 300 African American lives.

National

Tulsa Race Massacre investigators say they've sequenced DNA from 6 possible victims

3:08pm April 12, 2023

by Scott Neuman

The work is part of a years-long effort to get an accurate count of how many people were killed when a white mob decimated the city's prosperous Greenwood enclave, leaving upward of 300 people dead.

The Madison, Wis., office of Wisconsin Family Action was firebombed and vandalized on in May 2022. Nearly a year later, federal authorities say they tracked down a suspect with the help of DNA from a half-eaten burrito.

National

How a half-eaten burrito led to charges in the firebombing of an anti-abortion office

11:43am March 29, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Federal officials say they've arrested a 29-year-old Wisconsin man in connection with the May 2022 incident. They found him with the help of forensics and fast food.

Researchers were able to detect DNA from elephants at the Copenhagen Zoo simply by sampling the air nearby.

Scientists vacuum zoo animals' DNA out of the air

7:00am January 09, 2022

by Geoff Brumfiel

Researchers who detected that detecting environmental DNA, or eDNA, in two zoos say the technique could one day be used to look for endangered species in remote locations in the wild.

The Justice Department, led by Attorney General William Barr, said Friday that it is formally amending regulations and pushing forward with a plan to collect DNA from immigration detainees.

Trump Administration Poised To Start Collecting DNA From Immigration Detainees

5:25pm March 06, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

The Trump Administration says the policy change will help law enforcement apprehend criminal suspects. Rights advocates describe it as a serious breach of privacy against vulnerable populations.

Attorney General William Barr speaks at an event in Washington earlier this month. On Monday, he issued a proposed rule seeking to allow the federal government collect DNA samples from more than 740,000 immigrants every year.

National

Justice Department Announces Plan To Collect DNA From Migrants Crossing The Border

9:09pm October 21, 2019

Immigrant advocates are denouncing the proposal, arguing that collecting genetic information of border crossers could have implications for family members residing in the U.S.