The newer gene-sequencing stuff is amazing.
You can put a sample in and have the whole genome mapped in like ten hours.
If you hear about a crime on tv and they say something like “Authorities won’t have the DNA testing back for three weeks...” they are BS’ing you blue right in the face!
I’m very familiar with gene sequencing. It’s very expensive on two scales, the capital investment, and the cost-per-sample.
An FBI-type STR identity check can cost $100, but whole-genome sequencing is very expensive. It’s expensive to reun the sequence, and takes a lot of computer muscle to turn the raw data into a sequence. The Whitehead Institute in Massachusetts was a pioneer in whole genome sequencing.
I’m involved in a project that uses DNA sequences to identify counterfeits. It uses whole-genome sequencing as part of setting up the anti-pirate code, which is then verified using simple qPCR. Some of the project looks at plant sequences to see if a farmer is using hybrid seeds without a license, and it costs!