I have been tinkering with this site all day and thought it was time to share.  It covers a lot of random information about genetics to help make sense of a complex science.  It includes great articles about the ethics of stem cell research and more.  It also has interactive tools to see the likelihood of having certain eye colors in your family.

I like the eye color paternity test on our site as it has more options for eye color, but the test on the site listed above explains some of the science behind it that our site does not … yet.  I hope you get a kick out of it like I did.

I especially loved learning more about genetically modified foods.

Remember for any questions about paternity testing or DNA testing in general feel free to contact me!

Today on Fox News it was reported that two fraternal twins came from different fathers.  How you may ask?  I recommend reading the article for more details on this part, it is a great read.  My main question was not about the how but about another detail they mentioned.  You see, in the article they also state this is a DNA rarity.  This idea sounded strange to me.  I knew I had heard about this happening before.  I decided to ask our associate lab director, David Einum, if he knew more.

He stated that in recent years he had reported more cases involving this phenomenon, and not likely because it is happening more frequently, mind you.  Rather, he feels that the rise in the volume of paternity and other relationship DNA tests performed across America has increased the commonality of finding this and other DNA rarities. At IDENTIGENE we have seen this increase of paternity tests, and our volume of other testing has increased as well.  We feel that this is due in part to the release of our DNA Paternity Kit at retails stores nationwide.  On May 11, 2009 announced more information on this new way of doing business in this fast paced and growing field.

Still curious about how this all works?  If you have any questions about paternity or DNA please feel free to comment, email me directly at kstyer@identigene.com, or call 801-462-1465. If I do not know the answer myself I will find the answer and get back to you.

We are working on releasing more ways to connect to other people who have similar questions. Stay tuned to the DNA Community section of our website.

Also, you can follow me on twitter (@AskKate) or facebook by searching for Ask Kate in Utah.

I am sure that we have all heard of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin.  Written almost 150 years ago, it is considered to be one the paramount pieces on evolution.  We have since developed theories of evolution based on this book.  We believed that evolution to be a long process that can take numerous generations and will be based on more than the parent’s environment and experiences.

What some people may not know is of the theories of his contemporaries.  One such theory was developed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.  This theory now called Lamarckism stated that evolution could be directly impacted by an organism’s parent’s experiences.  His theory specifically was in reference to giraffes and their long necks. 

While this example may not be the best of this theory, the theory itself is being reconsidered after numerous findings by biologists around the world.  After reading an article in Newsweek, I was intrigued by the idea that a parent’s environment and experiences may in fact directly impact a child’s traits that it inherits. 

As an example the article discusses a species of water flea that gains a spiny helmet if their mother had an experience with predators before conceiving.  If not her off spring would not have these spiny helmets.  The DNA of both types of water flea being the same.  This type of trait by Darwin’s theories would have taken numerous generations to develop.

DNA, genetics, and inheritance are all topics that intrigue me.  As a DNA Testing consultant I try to keep up with what is being discovered in the scientific community.  This new finding blows much of what I studied in high school and college out of the water.  I am excited to see what may come out of this research.  I am curious to see how humans are directly impacted by the experiences of their parents. 

However this research turns out there is one thing that will remain true.  The DNA that determines relationships is not directly impacted by these types of findings.  You cannot change the markers that indicate relationship simply by eating more greens or even doing hard drugs.  So, no need to be concerned with your results changing based on this type of information.  I am curious to hear what everyone has to say about this.  Please leave a comment or email me directly at: kstyer@identigene.com

Part of what keeps my job interesting is the odd, interesting, difficult, and just plain weird questions people have about DNA.  I thought I would take a second to share a few and their answers (if they can be answered).

Question: “If I send you my DNA and a copy of my birth certificate can you tell me if that is really where I was born?”

Answer: Unfortunately, your DNA does not contain any information about your birthplace.  Okay, this one has only come up once.  At the time I was extremely dumbfounded.  Honestly, I am still at a loss as to the logic on this one.

Question: “Can you tell if someone does drugs by testing their DNA?”

Answer: No, we cannot.  This is a more common question than you might expect.  Also, we cannot see alcoholism in your DNA either.

Question: “I was sick with the flu when I swabbed.  Will this change my results?”

Answer: No, your DNA is not affected by virus or bacteria.  It is also not impacted by cancer, HIV, or other diseases.

Question: “How old do you have to be to test your DNA?”

Answer: You can test an unborn child’s DNA by sampling the amniotic fluid of the mother.  Meaning, there is no age limit.  You can test a child right after he/she is born.  Your DNA is the same from the time of conception until you die.  And this question is not exactly weird, but it comes up often enough that I thought I would throw it in.

And the weirdest question I have ever heard?

Question: “Is it possible that my DNA is the Da Vinci Code?”

Yes, someone really asked me this, and yes I was able to contain my disbelief and reply.  My reply?  “I am not certain I understand how your DNA may be related to the Da Vinci Code.”

After this the customer abruptly hung up.

DNA is a subject that is not always easy to understand.  So, I wouldn’t hesitate to write or call and ask your questions.  At least you know there has always been someone who has asked something odder, right?

Just stopping by to wish everyone a safe and happy evening.

While I am here, I thought I would post a clip I found that amused me.  Desperate Housewives has joined the many TV shows discussing paternity.  It’s a little silly, and I hope you get a chuckle out of it like I did.

Happy New Year everyone.

There are a couple of more reports of IDENTIGENE in regional news.  I am excited to see the word starting to spread about our company and the good that it is doing for many people.  By the way if you would like to share your DNA Paternity Test story please feel free to email me or call.

Also, I have been finding many blogs out there about our test or paternity testing in general.  Hopefully, my comments have been helpful and insightful.  Many people writing these blogs have not dealt with paternity tests before, and they seem to have a lot of preconceived ideas on the subject.

My goal is to be helpful.  Really, its that simple.  If there are more ways I can be helpful to you my readers please let me know.

Arkansas News Affiliate KARK covers release:

http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/?cid=131801

South Dakota News Affiliate KDLT’s coverage

http://www.kdlt.com/news/1021n1.html

kstyer@identigene.com

At IDENTIGENE we offer various types of DNA Testing.  Most if not all of our tests are meant to help discover the truth behind lingering questions.  Because DNA is scientific in nature many of our reports have language and information on them that isn’t always easy to understand.

The most common question I remember when explaining results to customers was, “What does not excluded mean?”  This phrase can be one of a few phrases that someone may see in the conclusion portion of their DNA Paternity Report.

Well, not excluded means just that.  It means that the person who was tested cannot be excluded as the biological father of a child.  When this appears on a report it will also show a probability of paternity of 99% or higher.  Because of the nature of DNA testing we cannot just out right say that someone is the father of a child.

I hope this sheds a little light on this phrase.  Next time we will talk about other phrases that may seem a little confusing on your DNA Paternity report or other DNA Test results.  Any specific questions on results feel free to comment on the blog or email me at kstyer@identigene.com

Happy Friday everyone.  I received an email from a fellow client support representative this morning.  She told me that a lot of customers are asking about the online system and how they can use it to view their DNA Test results.  So, I thought I would throw a note up about this system.

When you are filling out your order form that you receive with your DNA Testing Kit, a portion will ask how you would like to receive your results.  One option to receive results is online.  Here you will enter a username and password.  We recommend using your email address as this username and you can choose ANY password.  I recommend writing this information down so that you do not misplace it as it will require additional paperwork to make changes.

After your samples arrive this log in information can be used to check the status of your testing and view your results.  On DNATesting.com there is a results login link on the top right hand corner of the page.  This will take you to the log in screen.  Remember your password is case sensitive so enter it exactly as you wrote it on the order form.

I hope this will help a few people make the online system a little easier.  Have a great weekend everyone.  As always you can contact me directly if you have questions about IDENTIGENE, DNA, or Paternity Testing.  KStyer@identigene.com or 801-462-1465.

Other than DNA testing for relationships IDENTIGENE offers one type of testing for Ancestry searches.  This test is called Ancestry by DNA 2.5.  It is a popular test for people who are just trying to get an idea of what regions of the world their ancestors may have come from.

Ancestry by DNA 2.5 will give you a percentage breakdown of your DNA into four different population groups.  These groups are Native American, European, East Asian, and Sub-Saharan African.  It is not able to break down the percentages much further.  For example, it cannot tell you which tribe your Native American percentage may have come from.  Also, it is a total picture of your DNA and cannot tell you which side of the family a given percentage may have come from. There is more information on our website about this type of test on our website at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-ancestry-services/ancestry-by-dna.php

There is one upgrade option to this test.  This is called the Euro DNA 1.0.  This test is only available after the Ancestry by DNA results are returned and show that you have at least 50% European, less than 40% East Asian, and less than 15% of either Native American and Sub-Saharan African.   This additional testing will reflect the following sub percentages of Northern European, Mediterranean, Middle Easter, and South Asian.  You can find more information on this type of testing on our website at: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-ancestry-services/dna-test-euro.php.

Many people find these tests interesting and understand it is mostly for informational purposes.  Some people take this type of testing in an attempt to confirm certain types of heritage to join organizations.  Please understand that these results may not be accepted by these groups.  You must check with them.  Unfortunately, our client support group is not aware of which organizations may or may not accept these results.

I had this test done a few years ago and was I found that while I am 90% European (not a shocker when you see my pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair) and 10% Native American.  This part was a large surprise for me and for my father as he has been doing our family’s genealogy for years and has no records of where this could have come from.

So, the results of this type of testing can be interesting and maybe answer a couple of questions you have about your ancestry.

The other day, I received an email from a customer who had purchased a IDENTIGENE DNA Paternity Test Kit from a local Rite Aid.  With her permission I am reposting the email here.  I have left her name off of the email to protect her privacy.

Choosing the right DNA test was hard for me. I called all the 1-800 #’s , searched online. Then a friend told me about the Rite Aid test. I did some research and thought that it was right for me. I bought the test and then mailed it in. It took me 10 business days (including mailing time for the samples) and I had my results. I am Very pleased with my experience. Not only was it fast and painless, it was cheap in comparison to the $400. the other companys wanted. So thank you Identigene.”

This is one of many accounts of customers I hear from weekly.  We are not a perfect company and there is always room for improvement.  We work constantly to improve our processes and need customer input to make this happen.  I would love to hear from other customers like this one or those who have had other less positive experiences with IDENTIGENE.  You can reach me at my work phone number 801-462-1465 or by email at kstyer@identigene.com