“I have a question that I cannot seem to find an answer to on the web.
When packaging the swabs for IDENTIGENE’s DNA test kit I accidentally brushed the side of my thumb against one of the swabs. What I want to know is would this somehow cause a mixed DNA profile, one that would not match the alleged father resulting in a false negative?
When these tests are done, are they able to detect that there are two different DNA samples on the swab and, if needed, order a retest? How does that work? I just want to be sure that it wouldn’t be possible to somehow have the lab technicians see a DNA profile that is actually a combination of mine and the alleged father and use that to compare to the child.”
This is a fairly common question, and the answer is simple. The paternity test lab can easily detect when one swab contains more than one person’s DNA profile (we call this a “mixed profile” meaning that DNA from two or more persons were “mixed” on one swab sample). But rest assured, a mixed profile would not cause an incorrect paternity test result; the lab would quickly identify it and we would send you a new set of swabs and ask you to collect the DNA sample(s) again.
It is possible (though unlikely) that accidentally brushing your finger on a dry swab (such as when putting the swabs into the specimen envelope) would generate a mixed profile. For this reason, it’s extremely important to be cautious when handling the swabs for collection or shipping. But, unless the contact with the swab was more of a “hard scrape” than an “accidental brush,” it probably would not capture enough DNA to significantly contaminate the swab and cause a mixed profile. If it did, the lab would easily identify the problem and request a new collection; if not, the right samples from the right people will be extracted and tested and the paternity test result will be accurate.
If you ever have questions on submitting your samples, or regarding possible contamination, IDENTIGENE DNA paternity test consultants are here to help. Give us a call at 888-404-4363.
Posted in DNA Testing, Question of the Week.
Tagged with ask kate, contamination, DNA Questions, swab.
By Kate
– August 30, 2010
Posted in Uncategorized.
By Kate
– August 22, 2010
Posted in Uncategorized.
By Kate
– August 15, 2010
Ötzi the Iceman, a well-preserved natural mummy of a Copper Age man from about 3300 BC, who was found in 1991 in the Schnalstal glacier in the Ötztal Alps.
I’ve been following the story of Oetzi the Iceman (or the Similaun Man) since his discovery in the early 90s.
Last week article on MSNBC.com revealed that scientists have completed sequencing the Iceman’s entire genome.
Past discoveries, such as his goat hide clothes, the food that he ate shortly before his death (unleavend bread and meat) and even the arrow wound in his shoulder all provided clues and insights into the life of our ancestors more than 5,000 years ago.
The genome sequencing, which was completed by scientists at Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Tuebingen, could provide us with even more information on the Iceman, such as the color of his eyes or hair, even diseases he may have suffered, or what his immune system was like.
Most exciting answer that may be provided by this research is, does he have any living relatives?
Paternity Testing
The maping of the DNA within the nuclei of the Iceman’s cells, along with the genetic information collected from a large number of people living in the region (and the most likely people to be descendants of the iceman) may help finally answer the question:
“Are there any living relatives of the Iceman still around?”
Scientists have previous attempted to find living relatives of the Iceman. Using an analysis of the Iceman’s mitochondriaI DNA, comparisons where done against the data of groups of living individuals. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mothers to their children and so would only provide relatives on Iceman’s mom’s side of the family. No matches where found, indicating that either his maternal lineage is either very rare or died out.
Posted in Uncategorized.
By Kate
– August 9, 2010
Human chimeras are a popular topic for TV shows and crime scene dramas. This extremely rare and interesting genetic condition can lead to the question “Can my DNA Paternity Test be wrong because I’m a chimera?”
Named for the mythical monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body and the tail of a snake, human chimeras have two or more genetically distinct types of cells in their bodies. This is thought to be caused by the absorption, or fusing, of twins before they are born. This would cause the chimera to carry two sets of DNA in their body. One set of their DNA and one that would have been their twin’s DNA. This second set of DNA can show up anywhere in the body. A second, distinct set of DNA may be present in the skin, blood, or even reproductive organs of the chimera. This was what happened in the case of Lynda Fairchild, profiled in the ABC documentary.
Fairchild underwent DNA maternity testing shortly after the birth of her child. Results showed a poor match, as if she was the baby’s grandmother. It was concluded that Fairchild may have been a chimera, her body the result of the fusion of two non identical embryos at the earliest stage of development. Different parts of her body could have come from different cell lines. Further testing indicated that cells taken from her reproductive organs, contained different DNA than those taken from her mouth for the DNA testing and were a match to her children.
Though cases like this are often given a lot of press, their occurrence is very rare. No one knows exactly how many cases of human chimera there are, but most studies cite only 30 reported cases in all of human history.
What does this mean for DNA paternity testing?
An inclusion, or “positive” DNA paternity test shows that an alleged father and the child share the same DNA. Therefore that man is considered to be the biological father. The father’s DNA was passed to the child, and the loci (markers) all match up. It’s virtually impossible (that is, very, very unlikely) that possessing two sets of DNA would make someone appear to be a father when they are not. Matches at all locations indicate a positive paternity test result, even if the father is a chimera.
An exclusion (when a man is not the father of a child) could potentially be affected, by someone being a chimera. It is possible for a chimera to pass one set of DNA on to their child but show a second set of DNA with a cheek swab, as in the Linda Fairchild case. Even so, the child and the father would still likely show a partial match, similar to that of a child and an uncle, since the second set of DNA would be that of the father’s unborn twin.
Disputed Maternity Leads to Identification of Tetragametic Chimerism – The New England Journal of Medicine
Genetic Mosaics
Posted in DNA Testing, Paternity Testing, Question of the Week.
By Ask Kate
– August 2, 2010
From an awards show in 1984. Michael with Diana Ross. Examiner.com
A woman in the Netherlands has petitioned L.A courts for a DNA paternity test with Michael Jackson.
She may want more than a paternity test however. Perhaps a DNA maternity test is in order as well. Mocienne Petit Jackson states that not only is she the secret child of Michael Jackson (who would have been just 17 at the time of her birth) but that her mother is Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee. Dr. Ross-Lee is the sister of singer Diana Ross.
According to Mocienne, at the age of 9 she was kidnapped and sent to Belgium as part of a plot by Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, in an attempt to protect Michael’s reputation. She indicates that all 7 of her abductors are dead, murdered to cover up the abduction.
In addition to” her share” of Michael Jackson’s inheritance, Mocienne is also seeking custody of Michael’s children so she can give them “a more normal life.”
Via TMZ.com
Posted in Gossip & Opinion, Uncategorized.
By Kate
– July 30, 2010
well rainy for utah… 
