In what is being termed a testing error, CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad has allegedly erroneously certified cow skin as tiger skin, leading to questions about credibility of the tests. The test sample was sent from Chikkamagaluru district by the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) to verify the genuinity of the skin that was seized.
For the test procedure, according to a document accessed by The Hindu, the DNA of the sample was isolated and subjected to PCR amplification with tiger specific cytochrome b primers to generate species specific molecular signature. The standard procedure established in the lab was followed to establish identity of the biological material. According to the result, species-specific PCR revealed the sample showed presence of tiger DNA.
