During the past 14 years, DNA technology has undergone a remarkably rapid evolution from an exotic, slow, and expensive forensic method to a routine practice. Where a blood stain 2 centimeters across was once required, now an individual can be identified from the DNA recovered from a postage stamp or a cigarette butt. Given the remarkable progress of DNA profiling technology, what can we expect in the 21st century? Several new technologies are on the horizon. These include capillary array electrophoresis, microchip capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry. These new methods will increase the speed and genetic differentiation while dramatically lowering the cost of DNA profiling. Speed and lower cost will facilitate the compilation of DNA databases that are currently under way in the United States and Europe as well as other industrialized countries. As these DNA databases grow, society must balance the needs for law enforcement with privacy concerns.
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