Kinship Dna Testing
Each of these tests are carried out in laboratories which first require a DNA sample from the two (or more) individuals who would like to determine their biological relationship. In contemporary genetic science the preferred method for collecting this sample is for both parties to give a cheek swab, sealed and sent via post. If the kinship test is being carried out for the results to be used as legal evidence then the swabs will need to be obtained and sent by a medical practitioner to ensure that the sample is reliable.
Once the samples arrive at the laboratory they must then undergo one of several possible methods to analyse the DNA. The most common of these is STR analysis which uses electrophoresis gel or capillary electrophoresis to multiply the relevant DNA strands, extract them from the rest of the DNA and compare them to the Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) to find any gene mutations or those sequences which are unique to those individuals. Once these 'unusual' sets of strands have been identified then the two samples are compared to see the likelihood of there being any biological relationship. Forensic scientists are professionally trained in this area and can spot a genetic relation almost straight away.
Kinship testing is a branch of DNA testing which takes place in order to determine the biological relationship between two humans. It happens on a daily basis all over the globe and for a huge variety of reasons, from twins wanting to know if there are identical or fraternal (non-identical), to the legal system wanting to determine who a child's paternal father is. Whatever an individual's reason for having a kinship test carried out, there is no denying that this process is one which is indispensable within modern science and one which is bound to change in method in the future.