1990s - DNA Testing Using PCR Technology
 Although developed in the 1980s, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique in DNA testing became the standard process for paternity testing in the 1990s.
PCR is a technique through which samples of DNA fragments are copied and replicated many times until billions of copies are made. Because of the power of PCR, very small samples of DNA from any part of the body can be used in a DNA test. Additionally, the process is quick.
By using PCR technology in DNA testing, paternity and other DNA tests can be performed much more easily and quickly. In a standard paternity test, DNA samples will be painlessly collected through buccal swabs from the mother, child, and alleged father. Then, the samples will be replicated through PCR and compared for similarities. Because half of the child's DNA is inherited from the mother and the other half from the father, the child's DNA should match portions of both biological parents.
Because DNA is being tested in this process, results yielded from a paternity test using PCR technology are often higher than 99.99%. This process has become the standard for biological identification, as it requires only a small sample from any person (even in prenatal cases), is highly conclusive, and provides results very quickly.
Introduction to DNA Testing History
1920s >> Blood Typing
1930s >> Serological Testing
1970s >> HLA Testing
1980s >> DNA Testing Using RFLP Technique
1990s >> DNA Testing Using PCR Technology
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