June, 2013 www.us-tech.com How DNA Marking Helps DLA Fight Counterfeiting By Jeffrey Paulownia C ounterfeit electronics in the supply chain has become a major concern for the United States Department of Defense (DoD), in par- ticular for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) charged with procuring electronic components, devices, and materials for US military applica- tions. An investigation during 2011 through 2012 by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) found that international sources were supplying counterfeit electronic parts made to appear as new devices and components for use in DoD systems. Counterfeit electronic devices typically lack the testing and qualification that military-grade com- ponents receive, so there is no assur- ance that they can or will provide the short-term or long-term performance levels of authentic parts. Since they are not manufactured to the same quality standards as the authentic parts, counterfeit electronic compo- nents can yield considerably higher profit margins than the authentic versions. To combat counterfeiting in military and government purchases, US President Obama signed the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and its Section 818, to require government contractors to put a system in place to identify and report counterfeit parts identified in their supply chains. The DLA has explored different ways to authenticate electronic com- ponents and devices, including the use of plant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for identification purposes, working closely with Applied DNA Sciences (www.adnas.com) of Stony Brook, NY to mark electronic parts. By adding DNA to the ink that is used to print codes on electronic devices or their packages, Applied DNA Sciences can place a unique “marker” on electronic products and their packages that can’t be easily duplicated. DNA sequences are made of four different molecules: adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine. They can only be connected in pairs, called base pairs that are written as GC or AT. The base pairs line up to make the familiar double helix of DNA. Dissolving Strands of Bio DNA Applied DNA Sciences creates DNA sequences that are formed by dissolving strands of botanical DNA (see figure) in a solution and then adding the proper chemicals so that the sequences will duplicate them- selves. The sequences are not ran- dom, and can be used as identifiers to link authentic electronic products with specific (legitimate) suppliers. The technology can be applied to existing products, already equipped with some form of authentication approach, as well as with new prod- ucts. Applied DNA Sciences har- vests botanical DNA and then shuf- fles and encrypts the DNA into a secure sequence which is kept secret and only used when needed to authenticate a specific electronic part. The company is run by Chairman and CEO James Hay - ward, a molecular biologist, who has applied the use of DNA for product identification. Because defense electronics sys- tems are often based on older devices and components, which many suppli- ers will obsolete after a short number of years if commercial sales do not sup- port those products, procuring obsolete parts can be a concern for defense system architects and contractors. Fortunately, certain suppliers, such as Lansdale Semiconductor (www.lansdale.com), continue to support and manufacture electronic com- ponents and devices long after the original supplier has discontinued those parts (see May 2013 U.S. Tech for Lansdale’s stand on counterfeit electronics). DNA markers are formed by dissolving plant DNA in a solution and forming an ink to identify different authentic electronic components and devices. Photo courtesy of Applied DNA Sciences. What Cost Bogus Parts? In practical terms, the cost of DNA for mark- ing electronic devices must be measured against the costs of bogus components infiltrating military elec- Continued on page 57 Page 55 Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92