DNA Solutions is a

DNA testing Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

company created by biotechnologist Vern Muir B.Sc. in 1996, and incorporated in 1998. The company created a home paternity kit in 1997 and has since expanded its services to include DNA sample storage.

History

DNA Solutions created the 'home paternity kit' in 1997, which was a new concept where people for the first time could take samples for DNA testing at home, instead of in the laboratory. Originally the kits worked by people taking a hair sample, and posting into the laboratory for testing. The kit was first reported in the Australian newspaper ''The Herald'' in 1998. These home testing kits have since revolutionized DNA testing, and the industry has subsequently adopted DNA Solutions' terminology of using "home kit" and "home paternity kit" a term now used by virtually all DNA testing companies and laboratories for the "use at home" DNA testing services. This new type of DNA testing led to a great deal of controversy, especially in the year 2000, when the Vice President of the

Australian Medical Association The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is an Australian public company by guarantee formed as a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students. The association is not run by the Australian Government and does not regul ...

issued a press releasing calling for a ban of DNA Solutions's services due to issues of privacy and consent. News of the new tests, and their availability online spread worldwide Over the next decade while DNA testing kits were being adopted by most DNA laboratories, DNA Solutions spread its services to such countries as

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. In 2007, DNA Solutions profiled 800 elephant dung samples from the jungles of

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

in order to calculate the number of wild

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

s remaining in the wild. In 2008, DNA Solutions won the tender to store DNA samples for the

Australian military The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...

and at the same time launched a service to store DNA samples for the public.

DNA testing

Y-Chromosome DNA

DNA Solutions offers the analysis of Y-DNA for identification geographic and ethnic originhttp://www.dnaancestors.com Ancestry DNA testing by Y and Mt-DNA profiling of paternal lineage. The use of Y-DNA testing is useful for discerning biological relationships between people with the alleged same paternal lineage (i.e. Uncle-nephew, or grandfather-grandson DNA testing).

Mitochondrial DNA

DNA Solutions offers the analysis of

mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA or mDNA) is the DNA located in mitochondria, cellular organelles within eukaryotic cells that convert chemical energy from food into a form that cells can use, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial D ...

(mtDNA); whilst only inherited maternally, mtDNA is found in both men and women. DNA Solutions sequences both the HVR1 and HVR2 regions for maternal ancestral and ethnic analysis. Mt-DNA testing is also used for proving biological relationships (i.e. cousins, granddaughter-grandmother, etc.)

Autosomal DNA

DNA Solutions offers analysis of autosomal DNA STRs used for DNA profiling, paternity testing and other biological relationship tests, such as sibling tests.

References

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