Police are increasingly using genomic databases in their investigations. Concerningly, they often do so without a warrant requirement. A new paper co-written by Illinois faculty presents possible technological solutions, such as phone applications, that will ensure Fourth Amendment protections of consumer’s genomic data.

The concept of genomic privacy has recently become important due to the rise of sequencing services, which can inform people about their ancestry or genetic predispositions to health disorders. However, it is unclear what concerns people may have about data privacy. A new grant, awarded by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB), aims to understand these concerns. The $35,000 grant will be used over the course of 18 months, with the option to renew for another 12 months.