Grandparentage Test
To obtain a Grandparentage test all one party needs to do is to contact an agency or organization who offers them (usually possible via e-mail, telephone call, postal mail or even fax. After payment, the swabs will be sent via post to the individuals who requested them so that the samples can be taken and sent to the laboratory. After being received by the laboratory most tests will take just three to five working days to be processed, tested and the results returned.
Included in the test procedure are DNA samples taken from the child and one of the grandparents to be observed at a laboratory and to see if the same DNA is shared by both parties. It is an incredibly non intrusive procedure, requiring two buccal swab samples from each individual. Those swabs are made from Dacron synthetic material which retains the cheek cells it is designed to pick up very effectively. These swabs are also sterilized and are placed in sterile and secure envelopes once used so that the test is as accurate as possible. In fact, the test gives 99.999% accuracy; a result which equals that of blood samples and which makes this type of test much more desirable.
This procedure is slightly different if the grandparantage test is being obtained for legal proceedings. In this case a medical professional needs to obtain the buccal swabs rather than them being sent to the individual's home, otherwise could be deemed unreliable.
It isn't absolutely necessary to have both grandparents take part in a Grandparentage test, but if it is possible then having both samples makes the results much more conclusive. Simply having the DNA from one grandparent means that the results indicate it is likely that either they are related, or that they aren't but this is not 100% accurate. If both Grandparents can give samples then this also allows for the DNA of the alleged Father to be reconstructed. This means that even if the Father is absent, his paternity of the child can still be determined.
Grandparentage tests are by no means the most common form of genetic testing or 'genetic fingerprinting' as it's better known. Still, it is a form of DNA testing which is used all over the world to determine the genetic identification and the relationship between grandparent and grandchild; a process which is highly valued by all who use it..