Plans underway to construct DNA lab at BIUST
Botswana in urgent need of improved forensic facilities
Botswana International University of Science and Technology ( BIUST) intends to conduct Scientific Research to generate solutions to address unmet national challenges in the area of forensic science.
At a 10km sponsored walk in Palapye to raise funds to construct a DNA laboratory, BIUST Vice Chancellor Professor Otlogetswe Totolo said there is an identified need in Forensic Science within the Faculty of Science of the BIUST and “we intend to invest in developing it”.
Totolo explained that Botswana urgently needs such a faculty because the country is currently faced with several challenges that require forensic services such as drug overdose, infant and child deaths, murder cases, domestic abuse incidents and road traffic accidents among others, which particularly require DNA services for family members and police to identify victims.
He said that the establishment of a DNA lab at BIUST would help ease the burden Government and other private stakeholders have with sourcing DNA services.
Forensic Science is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to the investigation of criminal incidents and the evaluation of forensic evidence in support of the legal process.
As a result of the great progress made in the analytical and biological sciences, in particular, genetics, forensic science has increased in its applicability in solving a wide variety of criminal cases, with the forensic scientist playing a key role.
Professor Totolo said BIUST has the capacity to train those who could assist in solving such heinous crimes but the challenge it faced is the lack of proper facilities and equipment.
“This is one reason that we decided on raising funds to construct the DNA lab. Our scientists and researchers will then have a facility to assist the nation in managing the challenges abovementioned.”
The BIUST event was held under the theme ‘ A walk to celebrate 10 years of driving change,’ and also formed part of
the activities that build up to the commemorative celebrations of BIUST’s decade anniversary.
Professor Totolo said that the institution had come a long way since it first opened its doors at the Oodi campus for its first cohort of students, to being one of the most respected institutions in Botswana and Africa.