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What if there was a test that could tell you if your child had the potential to be a world class athlete?  A biosciences company out of Colorado is now selling a DNA Test that can detect the ACTN-three gene.  This is the gene which is behind the "fast-twitch" muscles that world class athletes are said to have.  It is claimed that the absence of the gene means that the child might be better suited for endurance sports, while children with the gene might be better suited for contact sports. Kids that have a little bit of the gene,

Since the beginning of celebritydom, unethical people have used every means possible to ride the money train of the rich and famous. Back in 1943, Sir Charles Spencer “Charlie” Chaplin was embroiled in a Paternity Suit from an ex-girlfriend.  Even though the blood type testing came back to show that Chaplin could not have possibly been the biological father (DNA Testing was not available at the time), the courts ruled against Chaplin and he was forced to pay child support until the child was 18 years old.  Even today with DNA testing, which is the “Gold-Standard” of determining paternity

Chimpanzees have for years been the ideal subject for experimental research due to their closeness to the human species.  Microbiologists have also had a question as to why humans and chimpanzees differ in appearance, even though we share almost 99 percent of our DNA?

Scientists at Georgia Tech University have recently discovered that the answer to this question lies in our junk DNA.  This junk DNA, or non-coding DNA as it is also referred to, has traditionally been cast aside by researchers as it had no known biological connections.  Non-coding DNA doesn't directly affect our genes as they do not code

Here's one for Hollywood.  Scientists in a special secure facility recreate a bacteria so deadly that it wiped out 25 million people throughout Europe in the 1300's so they can better understand why the bacteria was so deadly.  How does it work out? Let your imagination go from there.

It is true.  Scientists have recently reconstructed the DNA of the bacterium, Yersinia pestis; the same bacteria believed to be the cause of the bubonic plague or the "Black Death" outbreak that wiped out nearly half of the European population in the mid 1300's.  Scientists used teeth from four such victims

Genetic Longevity studies at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam have recently shed some light into the secrets of living a long life.  After sequencing the genome of  Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper, also known as W115 as she lived to 115 years of age, geneticists noticed rare genetic mutations which may have protected her from late-life diseases such as Alzheimer's, dementia, heart disease, etc. When studying her brain, scientists noted that her brain the the first of such an advanced age to not have any signs of disease. Van Andel-Schipper attributed her longevity to eating herring and drinking orange juice

While researching your ancestry, you come across a possible Native American in your family tree or perhaps there is a family story that one of your ancestors may have been Native American.  Your interest peaks as you realize that you could possibly be Native American and maybe have access to special programs including free housing, free education, sharing in casino revenues, etc.

Whoa!  what many people don't realize is that it's just not that simple.  The burden of proof is on you to prove that you are of Native American descent.  Each tribe has their own requirements such as going through

To alleged fathers the most important question is determining whether or not to get a chain of custody test or a non-chain of custody test.  Making an incorrect decision, could cost a lot of money in the long run. 

First of all let me discuss chain of custody testing.  Chain of custody testing is also known as legally admissible DNA testing.  It is called chain of custody because during the sample collection process and testing process, the DNA follow a strict and documented chain of custody.  The sample collector, verifies all tested parties identification, takes photo's and has each tested

Everyone who has studied Biology in high school or college has learned about the Linnaean system of classification.  This system was developed back in the 1700's by Carl Linnaeus to create a descriptive hierarchy of species, genus, family, order, class, phylum and kingdom.  The system then placed everything living into one of two domains, eukaryotes (which includes animals, plants and fungi) and bacteria.  In the 1970's a third domain was dicovered.  Named archaea, the organisms that make up this domain, resemble bacteria.  However, unlike bacteria they give off methane as a waste product.

As technology has gotten better, scientists have been

30 years ago, John Floyd was convicted of murdering William Hines in the French Quarter of New Orleans. In February 2010, Judge Benedict Willard denied Mr. Floyd a new trial despite significant new evidence, including DNA evidence, of his innocence. Much of this evidence has been withheld by the State of Louisiana for over 28 years.

The Facts:

• Mr. Floyd was tried for the murders of William Hines and Rodney Robinson at a bench trial in 1982
• The two victims were murdered within the same week in 1980, within a mile of each other in identical circumstances

As DNA technology gets better and test prices cheaper, Over the counter DNA testing kits have sprung up in just about every major drugstore. For the last couple of years individuals have been able to go to their local drugstore and pick up for about $30 a DNA testing kit.  You swab the people you want to test and mail it back to the lab alaong with an additional $129 or so and wait for your results.  What's baffling about this is that thousands of people per year buy this kit to answer what for many may be one of

In September of 2010 the State of Colorado enacted "Katie's Law."  This law requires persons arrested and suspected of a felony to submit to a DNA sample.  The law was passed in an attempt to assist in solving violent and sex-assault crimes that have been pending for some time.  The law also requires that if no felony charges are filed after 1 year, then the DNA samples are to be destroyed.

In the first 4 ½ months, 15,404 DNA swabs were collected from suspected felons.  Of these, 9,212 of the samples were processed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation once felony charges were filed. The samples are then

There's a lot of buzz being generated over the terms genetic genealogy and ancestry.  Several television shows and numerous websites claim to be able to tell you where your ancestors came from and how you came to live where you live today.  For many people who spend a lot of time tracing their family origins, these tests can provide valuable information and help to fill in some of the "gaps." 

The most basic of these genetic genealogy tests involve a simple cheek swab from which your genetic Haplogroup can be determined.  A haplogroup is a group of similar genetic types that share a common ancestor.  Historically, all of

Cornelius Dupree, in jail for 30 years for a crime he did not commit, was exonerated in a Dallas, TX courtroom on Tuesday, January 4, 2011.  Mr. Dupree was convicted in 1980 for the 1979 rape and robbery of a Dallas woman and was sentenced to up to 75 years in prison.  Mr. Dupree had wrongfully been picked out of a police lineup by that same woman, which ultimately led to his conviction.  Over the last 30 years, Mr. Dupree had at least two opportunities to be released from jail if only he would admit to being a sex offender. 

This is one of the most asked questions when it comes to DNA Testing.  While that majority of the samples taken today are the “standard” buccal swabs (cheek swabs), DNA can be collected through a variety of other means such as Blood, fingernail clippings, diabetic test strips, ear swabs, hair (with roots attached), cigarette butts, chewing gum, toothbrush, soda cans, feminine hygiene products, condoms, bones, teeth,  etc.  However, using one of these “non-standard” samples usually requires a viability test whichcan result in an additional cost.  If you have a question about what kind of sample you can use to perform

DNA testing is the best way for people to get answers to important questions about family relationships. One of the most well known examples is the child custody case of Anna Nicole Smith, who died before the DNA paternity test results were actually known but was later determined that Larry Birkhead was indeed the father of little Daniell Lyn.  This is just one example of when a DNA test can be used to answer very difficult questions that otherwise would not be answered.

If you want your paternity test to stand up in a court of law, you need

According to AARP, nearly 6 million children are raised in households headed by grandparents or other relatives; 2.5 million of these children are without parents in the household at all, leaving their care and upbringing to their grandparents or other relatives.

In light of the high out-of-wedlock birth rate, grandparents often have to establish paternity through grandparentage DNA testing to:

1. Become a foster parent or gain legal guardianship or visitation rights to their grandchild.

2. Help their son or daughter with a child born out-of-wedlock to correctly complete the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity.

3. Ensure that the child may benefit from

A Home DNA Test Kit allows you to collect your own DNA samples using a buccal (cheek) swab.  Once the DNA samples have been collected you must send them back to the company for lab processing.  If you are unsure about whether you will ever need the DNA test results for legal reasons or you are uncomfortable with the task of collecting your own DNA sample then you should consider a Legal DNA test.  Unlike a Home DNA test, a Legal DNA test follows a strict "chain of custody" process whereby the DNA samples are

We've all heard the saying "you get what you pay for".  That statement has never been truer than with DNA testing.  In the last few years there have been individuals building websites and making claims that just are not true.  In our almost ten years of providing answers to our client's difficult questions, we've experienced the frustrations that our clients have; that is until they are able to afford the right DNA test that provides them with peace of mind because they feel certain that their test results are true and accurate. 

We've also experienced situations whereby clients come to us

DNA Services of America is proud to launch our new website and would love to hear what you think. We’ve included this new blog feature and invite you to share your comments when you have questions about our blog posts or DNA testing. As we all know, the world of DNA testing is fast paced and changes occur often, so we hope to provide you with current, useful and valuable information. You can also chat with us or call us using the information above. We would be pleased to help you.

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