Summer 2005

Science Goes to the Dogs

Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Professor Marc Allard Develops DNA Database for Dogs

By Julia Jacobelli

Anyone who has seen the hit television show CSI understands just how important details from a crime scene — hairs, fibers, and DNA evidence — can be to an investigation. Human DNA is being compiled into a national database that forensic investigators will be able to tap with the hope of matching an unknown sample from a crime scene to one already in the system. There is no question this new technology enabling researchers to construct DNA profiles is important; or that it is being taken to new heights each day.

Marc Allard, Louis Weintraub Associate Professor of Biology, Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS), and graduate student Kristin Webb are working to expand the forensic toolkit, collecting DNA from dogs to construct a forensic database of canine DNA profiles. Allard has always been interested in working with dog genetics, but had difficulty building the interest necessary to generate funding. While working with the FBI Academy, he discovered the FBI had an interest in profiling canine DNA for forensic purposes. Allard was part of a small preliminary study in conjunction with the FBI in 2000–01.

With the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, however, the FBI was unable to continue devoting time to projects like profiling dog or insect DNA; more pressing issues such as bioweapons took precedence. Undeterred, Allard and Webb proposed to continue the project on a larger scale here at GW. Their idea is to develop the information for a public database, so that anyone who has submitted their dog’s DNA can look to see how their animal’s genetic profile differs from another’s. Eventually, they hope to offer their data to Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the DNA database in the United States, and European DNA Profiling Group (EDNAP), the database in Europe.

Right now, Webb and Allard are not taking any DNA from dog hair. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is present in blood and tissues, which are easier to sequence than hair. They are using the first canine mtDNA sequence created as a reference sequence, and all subsequent profiles are compared to this one to examine base pair differences. For most of the dogs, sequencing will only be done for the control region, which is around 1,200 bases. But for 100 of the dogs, Webb and Allard will construct a complete mtDNA profile: encompassing nearly 17,000 bases.

“There are only two dogs published for the complete mitochondrial sequence,” said Allard. “So what we’re going to provide is new scientific information; who knows what we’ll find, because it hasn’t been looked at really.”

The DNA will come from swabs taken from the inside of the dog’s cheek, as those epithelial cells there are rich with genetic material. This process is not a new idea in the canine community; breeders have been using DNA tests for some time to confirm paternity and ensure breed-purity. A few veterinarians also have been conducting DNA testing for diseases. Clinics and members of the canine community who are comfortable with the cheek swabbing technique already are sending samples for Webb and Allard to analyze.

Right now, most crime labs do not have the technology to analyze mtDNA and hair samples. Samples have to be sent to select labs around the country, or to the FBI. Hopefully, as technology becomes cheaper and more available, extracting DNA from hair and profiling it will be simpler and more common.

Professor of forensic sciences Walter Rowe thinks the project is a good one.

“The hairs of domestic cats and dogs appear frequently as transfer evidence,” he said. “With an mtDNA database it becomes possible to assess the evidentiary value of mtDNA comparisons of known and questioned dog hairs. We can do the sequencing of mtDNA from dog hairs, but the probative value of a match is pretty much meaningless without a database.”

Allard and Webb are optimistic about what else they might uncover by the canine genetic profiles.

“We’re going to have all of these dogs, and all this genetic information,” said Allard. “We may uncover things about evolution, domestication of breeds, dog health; there are a lot of things that might come from this.”

Webb and Allard will be joined by student assistants over the course of their research, both undergraduate and graduate. They plan to continue to create the database until they run out of money. Currently, they are being funded by a two-year grant from the National Institute of Justice. They are hoping that their research will be interesting enough to warrant another grant.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu