British DNA expert tipped for Nobel medicine prize

A British researcher who discovered genetic fingerprinting that has helped solve crimes and settle paternity disputes is among potential candidates for the Nobel Prize in medicine, the first of six prestigious awards to be announced today by the Nobel committees.

Alec Jeffreys of the University of Leicester is often mentioned by experts as a possible candidate. He found in 1984 that a DNA sample could be linked to the person it came from – a finding that has come into play in court cases in which DNA evidence has exonerated convicted murderers.