Depending on your situation, the biological relationships you want to test, and the persons available for testing, we have many options for you to choose from. Just call 1-888-362-9814 to start the testing process or for answers to your remaining questions.
Genetic Reconstruction. A genetic reconstruction test is an alternative to grandparentage testing when only one of the paternal grandparents is available for the DNA test. To prove a child’s relationship to a possible father’s side of the family, one paternal grandparent and at least one full sibling (brother or sister) of the possible father needs to be tested along with the child. This test will reveal a probability of relatedness for the child and the tested relatives of the possible father.
Siblingship Test. A siblingship test determines the likelihood of two individuals being siblings, based on specific DNA markers that they have in common. There are two types of siblingship tests: in a half siblingship test, the individuals tested know that they do not share one parent, but want to know if they share the other parent (i.e., they are half brothers/sisters). In a full siblingship test, those tested know that they share one parent, but are unsure whether or not they also share the other parent (i.e. they are full brothers/sisters). Testing for siblingship indirectly indicates a paternity or maternity relationship in cases where the required test participants (the possible father or mother) are not available.
Twin Testing. The twin test, also known as a twin zygosity test, is available if you want to determine whether your children or grandchildren are identical or fraternal twins. Only the twins need to be tested using a simple cheek swab. While many request this test just to satisfy their curiosity, a twin zygosity test result could be a valuable piece of medical genetic information in the future, because many diseases are inherited. If one twin shows symptoms for an inherited disease, it is very likely that the identical twin will also share the same disease.
Lineage Testing via Y-STR. Two or more males can be tested to see if they are related through the paternal line. The Y-STR test examines several locations (called STRs) on the Y (male-determining) chromosome to check for similarities in the tested persons’ DNA. The Y chromosome is inherited virtually unchanged through several generations from father to son, and this is how we can test for the paternal lineage relationship via Y-STR.
Lineage Testing via mtDNA. Two or more individuals (male or female) can be tested to see if they are related through the maternal line. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is inherited only through the female line (mothers pass this on to their sons and daughters, but their sons cannot pass it on further). Because mtDNA generally remains the same through several generations, we can conduct a mtDNA test to determine if the mtDNA sequences of the tested parties are similar.
Maternal Grandparentage Testing. While most of our clients are seeking paternal grandparentage testing, we can also test for the biological relationship between a child and his/her possible grandparents on the mother’s side. This test is usually done in cases where the mother is not available for a maternity test. Our laboratory has helped facilitate joyful reunions with the maternal grandparentage test and the maternity test, described next.
Maternity Test. We also provide maternity testing services for those who are seeking to confirm the biological relationship between a possible mother and child.