The past decade has witnessed the most impressive advances in genetic technology. The proposal to elaborate on the complete sequence of the human genome about 16 years ago has unleashed a "arms race" between public and private businesses without precedent in the life sciences. In a difficult battle to publish the first draft of the complete human genome, a multi-national consortium, publicly funded and a large biotech company owned by billionaire Craig Venter, spent billions of dollars to develop new technology that enables fast and accurate DNA sequencing. This brings great benefits to biological and medical research, and allows for better care and diagnostic tools.
Genetic testing is one area that has benefited greatly from these results. As we know from the famous TV series, today it is possible to find a criminal by analyzing one hair or a drop of saliva. The broader application of this technology is paternity testing. A hesitant father can easily order a DNA test kit, take a sample of himself and his child and send it to a DNA testing facility. In a few days, he will receive a report confirming that he will not be the biological father of the child.
Although assigning fathers is the most common reason for DNA testing, there are many nissui idonesia other applications. For example, it is also possible to determine other close relationships such as relatives / brotherhood, childbirth, paternity when the alleged father is not available and so on. People can also have a detailed analysis of their ethnic background and pedigree. This kind of test is often made out of curiosity, but sometimes it can be very helpful. Often people are excluded from certain benefits aimed at certain ethnic groups, such as Native Americans because they cannot show their ancestors. DNA testing is an effective and conclusive way to prove one's ethnicity.
So far, everything looks fine. You need to do a DNA test, so you do research online. What you will find is the extraordinary spectrum of DNA laboratories that offer paternity tests, and of course, each of them claims that they are the "best laboratory". What to do? Choose the first time you meet? Choose the cheapest? You don't need to be an expert to decide, but knowing the differences between all the laboratories will allow you to make wiser decisions. Why is this important? The type of questions you are trying to answer through DNA testing is not trivial. A man who is not sure if he is the true father of his children cannot accept "maybe" as an answer, right? Well, that's what he would get if he chose a cheap DNA test from an inexperienced laboratory.
All DNA tests are basically the same in basic terms: they are all based on the same biological principle and use the same type of analytical method. However, there are some differences that you have to take into account.
One important difference is the number of genetic markers they see. Genetic markers are only specific areas in the human genome that tend to differ between humans. Imagine there are regions that have 5 different "types" between people. You most likely have the same type as your father in the same area. However, because there are only 5 different types in the population, you also share species with many others who are not related to you, so seeing this single area will not tell you exactly who your father is. If we look at other regions, the opportunity to share both with unrelated people is lower, but that is still possible. When the number of markers increases, the probability of a random match (sharing the same marker with an unrelated person) is lower. The best paternity test uses as many as 16 different markers. Having a match for all 16 markers by chance is almost impossible, so a perfect match ensures that the two are father and son. Why not use more markers? Because it is not necessary (with 16 markers, the probability of a wrong result is zero), and adding more markers to the analysis will only make the test more expensive. Why not less than 16? Many laboratories use between 4 and 8 markers to make tests cheaper. By choosing one, you can save a few dollars, but your doubts will not be completely erased. Do you think this is acceptable? Certainly not.
Comments