DNA identification centre for martyrs opens

The Institute of Biotechnology under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology is the first establishment in Vietnam to develop DNA analysis technology in service of identifying the remains of revolutionary martyrs.

Between 2000 and 2015, the Institute identified nearly more than 1,200 remains of martyrs.

The institute’s director Chau Van Minh said the centre was expected to facilitate the identification of remains of martyrs, meeting the people's and Government’s expectations.

The centre will work to full capacity of analysing 4,000 sets of remains of martyrs annually, according to Minh.

Addressing the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam asked the institute and relevant ministries and agencies to create favourable conditions for experts and researchers, particularly the young generation, to get access to modern equipment and devices used in DNA identification.

He instructed the centre’s staff to study, develop and apply new advances in gene identification to serve scientific and technological activities as well as socio-economic development.

In 2015, the Government set the goal of building three centres for DNA identification.

Nearly half a century since the country was reunited, there are still 300,000 sets of remains of war martyrs lacking information.