The invention provides a composition including DNA bonded to a plasma-treated surface, the plasma can be any suitable plasma, such as an argon plasma, a compressed air plasma, a flame-based plasma or a vacuum plasma. Surfaces treatable by the methods of the invention include ceramic, metal, fabric and organic polymer surfaces. The DNA can be any DNA, such as a marker DNA, which can be linear or circular, single-stranded or double stranded and from about 25 bases to about 10,000 bases in length. Also provided is a method of binding DNA to a surface, including the steps of exposing the surface to a plasma to produce a plasma-treated surface; and applying DNA to the plasma-treated surface to produce surface bound DNA on the treated surface. A system for binding DNA to a surface is also disclosed, the system includes a plasma generator adapted to treating a surface with a plasma to produce a plasma-treated surface; and an applicator containing DNA adapted to applying DNA to the plasma-treated surface to produce surface bound DNA on the plasma-treated surface.