On This Day In History: Sir Alec Jeffreys ‘Father Of DNA Evidence’ Was Born – On Jan 9, 1950

Alec Jeffreys, a British geneticist, who developed techniques for DNA fingerprinting and DNA profiling was born.

Jeffreys’s achievements are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police detective work and to resolve paternity and immigration disputes.

His technique of DNA fingerprinting is used for used for unique identification of humans, animals and other organisms from their DNA material.

Jeffreys was born at Luton in Bedforshire and educated at Oxford, where he completed his PhD in 1975.After spending two years at the University of Amsterdam as a research fellow he joined the genetics department of the University of Leicester. He was appointed professor of genetics in 1987 and knighted in 1994 for his research in genetics.

DNA fingerprinting has become important for forensic science investigations, paternity issues, and detection of hereditary disease.