Family DNA reconstructions
Can I get a genetic family reconstruction?
Results of family reconstructions can be various due to the fact of so many different situations exist. Usually whether a test is possible or not, relies on who is available for testing. When contacting a laboratory about a family reconstruction please have a list of everyone who is available and willing to have their samples taken. Sometimes it will even require a genealogist to find out whether getting an answer is even possible. Some of the harder questions are not possible unless the correct samples are available. One of the hardest questions to answer is half versus full siblings. This can be especially difficult without the mother. When they are full siblings they test is much easier because they will match at least fifty percent of the time. When they are not, trying to prove that they are not is much more difficult. If they happen to match just by chance, it can be devastating to the results of the test. Once a marker is tested it must be reported by guidelines. The chance they just happen to match at places is luck of the draw. So getting an inclusion is not difficult, however an exclusion is very difficult in these types of cases. These types of cases are why some laboratories will have a battery of different markers, and different types of testing such as RFLP. RFLP is almost always needed in half sibling cases to come to a reasonable conclusion of the test. Many makers are stopping to make probes for RFLP do to the increase popularity of the PCR test. This in the future will mark the end of more difficult DNA testing to a faster, but less accurate approach. RFLP is time consuming, and labor intensive. Many other situations also exist, such as a deceased father of a child having to prove a genetic relationship to him for inheritance. Usually if the father's brother or sisters are available for testing this is not a problem. This can usually be resolved quickly using PCR. One problem that can arise is that do to there being more people involved in the test, there is a larger chance of someone having a mutation. Mutations would also cause more extensive testing to make the probability come back up to a reasonable reportable level. This is usually handled by adding more PCR markers until a satisfactory result is attained. Some situations the mutation could alter the result in a way that would require more extensive RFLP markers to be added. RFLP is usually an end all to fix this type of problem in a test. As you can see there are so many different situations that exist, please call and speak with the laboratory about your exact situation to see if testing is possible, and the probability that you will receive a good reliable answer. In situations such as half virus full sibling, a laboratory with a large battery of testing available will only have a seventy five percent success rate of answering the question of exclusion.
About the Author
Scott is the Asia Area Manager for Paternity Testing Corporation.
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here