"Restoring the names of fallen soldiers" using DNA technology.

VTV.vn - DNA testing technology plays a significant role in the 500-day campaign to intensify the search, collection, and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers.

Science and technology, especially DNA testing technology, are being applied in identifying the remains of fallen soldiers. Currently, technicians directly involved in DNA testing from samples of fallen soldiers' remains throughout the military are undergoing intensive training at the Military Medical Department, General Department of Logistics and Technology. The goal is to standardize technical procedures, improve professional skills, and supplement the workforce with highly qualified professionals to meet the objectives of this campaign.

During a practical training session at the Military Forensic Institute, 20 elite forensic experts from leading military institutes and testing centers received thorough instruction on procedures and techniques before practicing in the laboratory.

The process begins with mechanically cleaning the sample surface, followed by chemical treatment, grinding, and weighing the sample before DNA extraction. Each technician here, after training at their unit, will be the core force directly carrying out the crucial steps in the process of identifying the remains of fallen soldiers.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, Deputy Head of the Biological Testing Department, Military Forensic Institute, stated: "The remains of fallen soldiers we currently have are very difficult to obtain, posing a significant challenge for the forensic experts and technicians performing DNA testing. Our fallen soldiers sacrificed their lives decades ago. The remains buried underground have been greatly affected by climate, environment, humidity, and any remaining DNA is very limited. This requires forensic experts and technicians involved in DNA testing of fallen soldiers' remains to be trained and skilled in the necessary techniques."

After DNA samples from the remains of fallen soldiers are extracted, DNA sequencing will be performed. This is a complex process that requires time and depends heavily on the skill of the forensic expert.

Lieutenant Colonel, Dr. Nguyen Tat Tho, Deputy Director of the Military Forensic Institute, noted that the number of skeletal remains brought in for testing will be very large in the coming period. Therefore, the role of technicians directly performing the tests is of particular importance.

"Besides specialized knowledge in molecular biology and biomedical testing, they need advanced technical skills, meticulousness, and above all, dedication to the profession," Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tat Tho emphasized.

Beyond being a professional duty, for many officers and soldiers, the work of DNA testing of the remains of fallen soldiers also carries a profound meaning of gratitude towards the generations of ancestors who sacrificed themselves for national independence.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, those who participated in the 500-day and night campaign always worked with a sense of responsibility and gratitude towards the heroic martyrs.

With utmost determination, the Military Forensic Institute is striving to research and propose the use of next-generation gene sequencing methods in DNA testing to shorten the time and improve the accuracy in identifying the remains of fallen soldiers, with the hope of restoring the names of the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland.

Each successful identification of a fallen soldier's remains is not only the result of science and technology, but also a journey full of responsibility and gratitude from today's generation, from today's soldiers, towards the generations of their fathers and ancestors who sacrificed for the Fatherland.

Source: https://vtv.vn/tra-lai-ten-cho-liet-si-bang-cong-nghe-adn-10026052919373951.htm