easyDNA.co.nz Blog

December 1, 2010

What is DNA fingerprinting?

Filed under: DNA Testing News — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 12:18 pm

DNA fingerprinting is what enables the identification of people. Often, DNA fingerprinting is referred to as DNA testing or genetic fingerprinting. DNA fingerprinting allows scientists to create a DNA profile- a profile which is different from person to person.

DNA is essentially the same from person to person. We share most of our DNA with any random person we meet in the streets. However, what does differ are certain sequences on the DNA molecule, which though compared to the vast amount we share, are very few, these are enough to be a key distinguishing factor that enables us to identify people.
Countless cases involving crimes have been solved thanks to DNA fingerprinting. A woman is killed. There is no witness. Police can search for the most minute traces or samples which can yield some DNA. A fragment of a nail, a spot of blood or a dirty Kleenex left unwittingly at the crime scene. The DNA can be tested and a profile drawn up. Having a DNA profile can immensely aid investigations as it can smoothly link crime to criminal.

It is important to understand the issue of statistics and probability in DNA testing. Let’s talk about DNA paternity testing, which of course, relies on DNA fingerprinting.

As we established, we share the vast bulk of our DNA and scientists specifically need to analyze those repeats which are shared to determine whether people are related. Thus, between an alleged father and child in a DNA test, scientists need to find those repeats which are the same on both DNAs. However, even once they have established that the putative father is the biological father, they will be expressed as a probability.

Statistically there could be another person with the alleged father’s identical genetic makeup and although the chances are minute, (perhaps one in 10 billion) they must nevertheless be acknowledged. Of course, for who is doing the test, a 99.99% inclusion of paternity means the alleged father is the true biological father. What are the chances of another man with his same genetic makeup having met the mother and having had intercourse with her?

DNA fingerprinting is extremely accurate and reliable. Whether you are doing a paternity DNA test, a sibling test or investigating crimes, DNA does not lie.

November 1, 2010

Paternity testing: How do I collect my Samples?

Filed under: Articles about Paternity Testing — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:35 am

Paternity testing is accurate and reliable and the demand for this type of test has grown as it has become so readily available, convenient and easy to carry out. Central to any DNA test is of course, providing samples for it so that DNA profiles can be analyzed and a relationship excluded or included.

What kind of samples does one use for the paternity test?

Generally, the best sample to use is the saliva sample. A saliva sample is collected using a simple oral swab; take the swab out of its wrapper, rub it within the mouth, under the tongue and cheeks, wait for it to dry and re-send it for laboratory testing. That is just how simple collecting a saliva sample is and why, therefore, it is always the first sample to be recommended by all companies doing paternity tests.

Basically taking a saliva sample by rubbing a swab means you collect not only saliva but also cheek cells; the rubbing action of the cotton-tipped swabs cause cells to detach themselves from the sides of the mouth and these cells are ideal for extracting DNA.

Saliva samples can be collected from people of all ages including babies- again another great advantage.
Should you not be able to collect saliva samples (perhaps the alleged father lives far away or is deceased) you could try and get hold of a host of other viable DNA samples which may include hair or semen or blood to mention just a few.

Who takes part in paternity testing?

Well of course, the putative father and the child. If the mother is available for the test than it is very useful to add her samples too to the test. The mother’s sample, although not an absolute necessity, gives the opportunity to provide a stronger result. However, it must be said that the vast majority of paternity tests are carried out without the mother’s DNA samples (what is referred to as a motherless test). Even without the mother’s DNA, you can expect a probability of paternity of 99.9% or higher which is a pretty reassuring percentage.

With or without the mother’s samples the exclusion (which means the probability of the father not being the biological father of the child) is always 100%.

Paternity tests are a life-saver and have helped solve many ordeal related to paternity doubts, visitation rights, father’s having access to their children, mother’s getting the child support due to the child and mother by law and so forth. Many companies offer paternity testing at very competitive prices, so a quick browse online will yield a number of companies; the next step is picking the best one.

September 29, 2010

Immigration testing case requiring paternity DNA test as proof of relationship gets complicated

Filed under: DNA Testing News — Tags: , — admin @ 12:40 pm

Evens Colas, a US citizen who has two Haitian children he has tried to bring them back to the US by means on an immigration test, specifically a paternity DNA test tomprove a biological relationship between him and his children. Under US law, a DNA tests must prove that there is a biological relationship between people.

The Haitian earthquake has brought the country to its knees. The country has one of the lowest GDP in the world and does not have economic means to help itself when such disasters strike. As disease and social unrest spread, despite aids from many countries, Cola’s children remain in Haiti surrounded by the tragic scenario and constant life-threatening dangers. Evens must bring his children safely to the US quickly.
US immigration procedures for naturalization of the children are dictated by the USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Service).

Evens must provide proof of being the childrens’ biological father by doing an immigration test. However, his paternity test results excluded him as being the biological father. Evens could not believe he was not the paternal father of the children he witnessed being born and raised. He took a second paternity DNA convinced that the first test had provided results that were wrong. The second test, gave the same results; Evens was thus, definitely not the biological father of the children. In Haiti, Evens is the legal father of the children and the father registered on the children’s’ birth certificate. Evens provided the birth certificates along with other documents to prove the fact that he was legally father and acted like father in all respects. Amongst other documents, he gave the following to the US immigration services:

1. Dozens of photos showing him with his children throughout the children’s childhood.
2. Receipts showing that money had been regularly transferred to support the children back in Haiti.
3. Vocal recorded requests from the children’s paternal grandmother highlighting the plight of the children and her wish that they live in the US with their father and his wife, Sue.

These were just some of the documents which were used by Evens produced. However, US officials said there is nothing they can do but work within the law. If the paternity DNA test shows Evens is not the biological father then the children have no right to claiming US citizenship or even residing in the country. The Haitian government has no interest in immigration DNA tests; what counts is what is on the birth certificate and Evens is the father under Haitian law. The US Citizenship and Immigration services could give only one option: Evens should adopt the children, Paul and Melissa, which would make the children eligible for US citizenship under US law. However, since in Haiti Evens is children’s legal father, he cannot adopt his own children.

These inconsistencies in the ways different governments deal with immigration means that such cases as Evens’ could happen in many other Western countries. Immigration procedures need to be amended and such situations taken into consideration. Immigration testing has in this case proved very unjust, especially under such urgent circumstances. Is a paternity DNA test the be all and end all without exception?

September 16, 2010

Matthew Knowles does Paternity DNA Test

Filed under: Celebrity Paternity Testing — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:12 am

Father of R&B sensation Beyonce Knowles, Matthew Knowles has not quite managed to keep his life as impeccably clean as his daughter’s and has required a paternity DNA test. The man has had an affair with former ‘’Scrubs’’ actress Alexsandra Knight. The actress has filed a paternity suit and wants a court ordered paternity DNA test to establish Knowles as the biological father of the child in all legal respects. Alexsandra wants child support from Matthew.

Matthew and Alexsandra had a relationship of 18 months. When the affair came to the light, it of course drew much media attention. He is not only the father of Beyonce but also her manager and the one who enabled her to enjoy the stardom she enjoys today. Matthew and Tina, his wife, have been married since 1980 but the affair with Knight has thrown their marriage on the rocks. Their 30 year marriage has fallen apart and the two are in fact said to be getting a divorce.

A paternity DNA test has been carried out. Matthew, 58, had consented to the test without any problems. The test proved to be an inclusion of paternity and thus, Matthew Knowles is the biological father of baby Nixon. This means that Beyonce and her sister Solange  now has a half brother and her father will be dishing out 8,200$ in child support for his son.

How is a Paternity test carried out?

Paternity testing is accurate and reliable. Typically, the test is done with DNA samples from the father, mother and child. It is also possible to carry out a paternity DNA test without the mother’s samples and this is commonly referred to as ‘motherless paternity testing’.  The mother’s samples should always be included if she is available for the test so as to ensure a stronger result.

A paternity DNA test will analyze very specific markers on all DNA samples provided. The markers are sometimes referred to as ‘loci’. For an alleged father to be included as the biological father of the child, the child will need to display the exact same genetic markers (this is because we inherit half our genes from our father). If the putative father is to be excluded as the child’s biological, it will be because he does not share the same genetic loci as the child.

Paternity testing is highly accurate and reliable. Many celebrities and famous people have done paternity tests and amongst these one can find Eddie Murphy, Anna Nicole Smith and Liz Hurley.  Matthew Knowles doing a paternity test is really nothing new in the world of the rich and famous.

July 29, 2010

Bobby Fischer: Body will be Exhumed for Paternity DNA Test

Filed under: Celebrity Paternity Testing — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:00 am

Bobby Fischer’s body will be exhumed from its resting place to carry out a paternity DNA test todetermine with certainty whether the child who has come forward with her mother claiming Fischer to be the biological dad really has a legitimate right to Fischer’s estate. The exhumation is necessary to be able to get a DNA sample from the alleged father.

Bobby Fischer is one of the greatest chess players of all times, born in Chicago and died in Iceland. The man’s life was strange- he disappeared from the chess seen not playing for almost two decades, caused legal problems in Japan and the US and was not able to return to either country- he sought asylum in Iceland . The child in question who claims to be Fischer’s daughter is the 9 year-old Philippine girl, Jinky Young, who is represented by Thordur Bogason.  

Bobby Fischer- DNA paternity test

Bobby Fischer- Paternity Test from the Grave

Should the paternity test establish that the girl is the chess champion’s daughter, under Icelandic law, she will be declared his legal heir and thus be entitled to his estate.

The court case is not a clear cut paternity test; Fischer’s long term partner and family in the US are also involved in the case. Bobby Fischer died in 2008, intestate, and the size of his estate has not yet been established with certainty. Bogason has shown the court the on a number of occasions during the last year of his life, Fischer had sent considerable amounts of money to Young and her mother, Marilyn. Moreover, there had been regular visits between Fischer, Young and her mother and that Marilyn and daughter had flown to Iceland on occasions to visit Fischer. Fischer’s long term partner states she has never heard any mention of a daughter.

Marilyn and her daughter have sent in blood samples as a tissue from which DNA can be extracted. Like with any paternity DNA test, scientists will extract a DNA profile from these samples as well as from the sample of the alleged father and trace the degree of similarity between the DNA patterns.

Marilyn’s sample is not an absolute necessity for the paternity test but as the mother it is always strongly recommend to send in her sample to increase the strength of the result. Having the mother’s sample will help DNA analysts exclude her share of biological inheritance thereby leaving a clear DNA profile of the genes inherited solely from the father.

Bobby Fischer is just one of many big names who have made the headlines because of a paternity dispute. The difference, which makes this case somewhat unusual, is that the testing is going to be done post-humus. DNA paternity testing is accurate and the only reliable, scientific means of ascertaining paternity.

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