DNA has quickly become the bedrock of modern law enforcement - as anyone who's watched CSI will know. It's enough to make up the minds of the courts, and to convince the British government to put millions of people into its database.

Suddenly things look a lot shakier, however, after scientists discovered ways to fabricate saliva and blood samples - and even DNA evidence itself, given the right information. The New York Times reports research into falsified results, which appear staggeringly easy - particularly for those with access to an original record (even if not genetic material).

The killer quote, from the paper's co-author, Dan Frumkin: "You can just engineer a crime scene... any biology undergraduate could perform this".

It's certainly not enough to destroy DNA evidence entirely, but you can bet that thousands of defence lawyers are rubbing their hands at the chance to discredit crime scene evidence in front of juries around the globe.