Page Sec1:38 - Labyrint 2013 - English Edition

Revolutionizing
DNA-analysis
“If a criminal leaves behind any DNA,
I should be able to identify him,” says
Stine Hansen, who has a master’s of sci-
ence degree.
The Tromsø native is Norway’s answer
to the CSI agents who solve murder
mysteries on our TV screens at night.
“Real life doesn’t resemble TV shows
that much, we don’t really go around
with guns on our hips,” says Hansen,
who instead has a master’s degree in fo-
rensic genetics as her best weapon. And
it's a weapon that she can use to wield a
powerful blow.
Hansen is actually the only person who
has done a master’s degree in forensic
genetics in Norway. Through her educa-
tion at the Faculty of Health Sciences
at the University of Tromsø, she has
gained expertise in profiling DNA from
crime scenes. And her master’s thesis in
forensic genetics has taken the tracing of
DNA to a whole new level.
“Stine’s DNA analysis method can be
compared to a book. Previously we were
able to find most of the sentences in the
book, but with Stine’s method, we can
find every single letter. It’s much more
precise,” explains Toril Fagerheim,
senior advisor at the Centre of Forensic
Genetics at UiT.
Little genetic difference
DNA can be found in almost all the
body’s cells, and carries genetic informa-
tion that is passed on from one genera-
tion to the next. With the exception of
identical twins, every individual’s DNA
has a unique composition. Half of our
Her dream was to become a police officer, but
then Stine Hansen discovered how to catch bad
guys using DNA. Now her DNA analysis method is
among the best in the world.
Stine Hansen uses this machine to make a quick DNA analysis of a potential perpetrator. Photo: Lars Åke Andersen
38 ••• Labyrint E/13 – University of Tromsø
Text: Elisabeth Øvreberg