SCIENCE CITY OF MUNOZ, Nueva Ecija: Rice fingerprint, anyone? Rice experts from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) the country’s primary rice institution revealed that fingerprinting, which is used to characterize a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was essential for crop breeding.

“DNA contains the traits of an organism,” said the experts Dr. Gabriel Romero, Cheryl Adeva and Zosimo Battad 2nd in a paper called “Genetic Fingerprinting: Advancing the frontiers of crop biology research.

In the paper, they documented the way how DNA fingerprinting was used by Filipino scientist in rice research.

The paper which publication was disclosed by the PhilRice on Wednesday, showed that crop fingerprinting helped the breeders select the traits they needed to create new upgraded seeds.

“The discovery of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has paved the way for a more convenient analysis of DNA variation,” said the PhilRice explaining how DNA testing has been made easier from the tedious process it used to be.

PCR, the paper explained, magnifies a section of a DNA making it possible for scientists to study and/or characterize that area. Scientists are now using markers, which make assaying a lot more convenient. Markers are specific DNA, sequences attached to a trait.

The presence of a marker signifies that a trait is present.

Genetic fingerprinting was particularly useful in taxa identification and phylogeny, diversity analysis, hybridity testing, gene mapping, marker-aided introgression, somaclonal variation, and patenting, the rice scientists added.

The genetic fingerprinting, they said, traces even the historical background of a particular seed. For instance, genetic fingerprinting showed that PSB Rc82 came from PSB RC28, among others.

The process was also found vital in diversity analysis that measures the level of genetic similarities or difference among materials that is crucial for breeding. Diversity makes specific rice variety productive or otherwise.

Genetic fingerprinting decodes the traits of a variety and will guide breeders in selecting the traits that scientists can transfer to another variety, the trio explained in their paper.

The process was also useful in gene banking, an important act in maintaining the repository of varieties, they said. Gene banking is essential since pests and diseases would attack at any unforeseen time.

Genetic fingerprinting further improves the viability of hybrid production, according to the research. Romero, Avela and Battad 2nd said that the fingerprinting gives scientists precise results in proper identification, as well as genetic identity stability, complete characterization and measurement of crop genetic diversity.”