NIAB has patent protection pending for a number of schemes for encoding non-genetic information into DNA. The patent describes four methods by which DNA can be made to hold information in a binary or other number base format as a DNA 'barcode'.

Jonathan White, Head of NIAB's Molecular and Genotyping Group said, "The encoding of non-genetic information has the overall major benefit of providing a means of ready identification and authentication of goods and organisms and is particularly relevant to the debate on GM crops."

"We can achieve encoding either directly, through the actual base sequence of the DNA, or indirectly, through the sizes of fragments generated from the DNA," he continued. "The patent also describes ways in which the encoded information can be compressed to save space and how error correction methods can be introduced."

"This is a very exciting development for us and we intend to exploit it through our molecular services. The patent describes a number of scenarios in which such an invention may be useful, as well as the GM traceability application. These include animal passports, tracing oil spills and authentication or counterfeit protection for items like designer clothes and banknotes," added Mr White.

• Animal passports e.g. by colonisation with transgenic micro-organisms or temporary transformation e.g. by inhalation of liposomes carrying the marker.
• Marking of valuable cell lines, organs, clonal livestock and other valuable germplasm either by transformation, by adsorption or colonisation with transgenic organisms.
• To mark animals in ‘mark and recapture’ experiments.

• Use by producers to mark the authenticity of wine, oil, spirits, beer, jam, honey, fruit juice, vegetable juices and other processed and non-processed foods and ingredients.
• Tracing transgenic plants and geneflow that may result from their release.
• Marking new varieties of crop or ornamental plants.
• Marking banknotes, designer clothes, etc, where the cotton has been transformed with this marker, as an anti-forgery measure.

• Use in burglar alarms or intruder detection systems to mark an intruder (by spray) with the locations they have visited.
• Tracking the movement of goods such as drugs, contraband, explosives and endangered species.
• Use by agencies that police industries that produce toxic wastes such as oil and nuclear to mark and track consignments and spillages.
• Use by pharmaceutical companies to monitor intellectual property and sale of drugs.