Method developed by the British geneticist Alec Jeffreys
born 1950
in 1984 for isolating and making images of sequences of DNA .
The procedure consists of obtaining a sample of cells containing DNA (e.g., from skin, blood, or hair), extracting the DNA, and purifying it. The DNA is then cut by Human Genome Project ), to engineer drought-resistant plants (see genetic engineering ), and to produce biological drugs from genetically altered cells.