DNA fingerprinting; a biotechnology in business

Since its discovery by Professor Alec Jeffreys, first published in 1985, DNA fingerprinting has never been far from the headlines. Cellmark, as the leading commercial DNA fingerprinting enterprise, has had the challenge of establishing its business in this high profile environment. The challenge for such a business has had three elements. Firstly and primarily to establish a laboratory system that consistently provides results to the highest standards possible. Secondly to communicate the science to its broad customer base which ranges from the general public to the experts of legal, scientific and governmental systems. Then finally there is the challenge of setting up the business in the context of the volatile, venture-capital based biotechnology market where the requirements for assured quality spar with those for cut prices. Given this backdrop it is not surprising that DNA fingerprinting has had its detractors, yet the consensus of opinion is that this technology has become a near routine business with the challenges effectively met and the success that was hoped for.