Sir Alec Jeffreys to receive prestigious Edinburgh medal

Sir Alec Jeffreys, pioneering scientist and professor of Genetics at Leicester University, has been named as the 22nd recipient of the Edinburgh Medal for his ground-breaking work on DNA profiling.

The award will be presented on the 14 April as part of the Edinburgh Science Festival and will acknowledge the professor's invaluable contributions to scientific research and the connected fields of forensic investigation and criminology.

Sir Alec told the BBC that he was “absolutely delighted to be this years recipient of the Edinburgh Medal".

The professor described the gesture as: “a huge honour and a wonderful recognition of DNA fingerprinting that will give great pleasure to the many people involved in the field of DNA-based identification".

DNA profiling now fulfils an integral role in international law-enforcement and has provided vital information for a number of high-profile cases, including the 2006 conviction of Steve Wright for the murder of five Ipswich prostitutes.

However, despite its triumphs, the use DNA profiling has prompted furious debate, with critics citing the practice as being unethical and in violation of human rights.

England has occupied a particularly divisive role in this discourse, with the national database currently comprising some five million DNA profiles, many of which are taken from citizens not charged with a crime.

Prof Jeffreys himself has proved an essential voice of authority in the argument, stating that England's approach to DNA profiling represents: “a presumption not of innocence, but of future guilt”.

Criminal investigation, on the other hand, represents just one of many possibilities presented by the DNA fingerprint.

Sir Alec's research has also provided the primary means of determining contested paternity and allows for insight into one's future health.