DNAprint Genomics (DNAG)

[frogdreaming]

Also for those new to the history of the DNAWitness products.

The forensic products have been available to law enforcement for almost five years now. The reported 'successes' while very few and far between have been reported in many of the major publications on the planet. It is doubtful that there is a law enforcement office anywhere that deals with such crimes that is unaware of the product.

Unfortunately for investors, while the successes seem to be quite spectacular, the realties are much more mundane. Spectacular crimes provide spectacular headlines and seem to be often in the public eye. Unfortunately it is the scarcity of such crimes that make them spectacular. If they happened every day they would not make such headlines. In the last half decade there have been an incredibly small number of applications for this product. Most murders are committed by family members or acquaintances. If DNA is available at the crime the FBI CODIS database is the most likely source of identification.

If, and only if, the following conditions occur, is there an opportunity for DNAWitness;

The crime is not committed by a close acquaintance of the victim. (Their DNA is instantly available to the police either voluntarily or by court order)

There is DNA available at the crime scene. (No DNA, no DNAWitness)

The DNA does not already match someone in the CODIS database.

There is some expectation that biogeographical ancestry will help to limit the number of suspects. (If the crime happens in China, discovering that a suspect has Asian ancestry is not very helpful).

Given the very small number of cases that fit these requirements, it is no surprise that DNAWitness has not been flying off the shelves. It is an interesting product but it is never going to make any money.

The possibility that Beckman-Coulter might include a free sample when it sells a SNPstream device to a new customer, is not going to affect the bottom line much. There still are not going to be any more qualifying crimes committed.

Short of an increase in homicidal mania, the market seems to be saturated already.

regards,
frog