Science and citizenship are meeting on the sidewalks of Bruntingthorpe. The British village's 150 residents are pioneering the use of genetic analysis to conquer a canine menace: pyramids of poop on the street. Starting soon, dog-owners will help create a DNA database covering the town's 30 dogs. Just a few hairs from each hound will be needed to create a genetic profile, which can then be matched against offending sidewalk specimens for appropriate enforcement. Dr. Ian Eperon, the village geneticist behind the project, says that local dog-owners will likely cooperate in order to lift any cloud of suspicion. He hopes to recruit volunteers to collect the evidence. "Otherwise," he says, "it will be me."
Uncommon Knowledge
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