Odd Question Regarding DNA

Walliam · 4 May 2006 at 22:48

Me and a friend were arguing about poo and DNA, as you do.

So to put it simply, can you get a DNA sample from a lump of poo?

axe · 4 May 2006 at 22:50

Yes

"We have successfully identified krill species from the DNA in poo of blue whales"

lots of these took me 5 secs

SidewinderINC · 4 May 2006 at 22:51

axe said:
Yes

Greenlizard0 · 4 May 2006 at 22:51

yes..

Walliam · 4 May 2006 at 22:52

axe said:
Yes

"We have successfully identified krill species from the DNA in poo of blue whales"

lots of these took me 5 secs

Does that include human turd?

Mat · 4 May 2006 at 23:02

All turds...

Lostkat · 4 May 2006 at 23:07

It's been studied, but I don't imagine it's easy since you excrete mainly waste matter (which isn't part of you and thus doesn't carry your DNA). Any "bits" of you that you exctrete (old blood cells, epithelia from the lining of the gut, etc. etc. etc.) will be degraded due to the digestion process, and this would make it more difficult to extract decent DNA samples from. It can be done though.

I'm referring to getting a person's own DNA from their stool sample here btw.

Meridian · 4 May 2006 at 23:11

Yes. Used to be done by mitochondrial, but the advent of LCN (low copy number) has meant that it can be used for DNA profiling from faeces. It is possible because the outside of the stool contains a lot of shed skin from the gut, not all of which has been de-natured by all the digestive enzymes.

M

PikeyPriest · 5 May 2006 at 00:40

Yes. I can multiply copies of RNA/DNA in blood that have been sitting at room temperature for a few hours. PCR is very useful.

Rich_L · 5 May 2006 at 00:42

So there ya go fellas, if you're going to rob a bank, don't poo in the vault!

Roduga · 5 May 2006 at 00:50

Rich_L said:
So there ya go fellas, if you're going to rob a bank, don't poo in the vault!

Unless you use shampoo.

(stolen from M.A.S.H. It was better at the time)