Behind the scenes of DNA centre


29 December 2008 11:28

Most of us take it for granted that we know who are brothers, sisters, and parents are, but more people than ever are taking DNA tests to make sure. Norwich's Anglia DNA Services say they have performed more than 10,000 tests in the past year, with Christmas their busiest time. ROB GARRATT reports.

Nestled out on the western edge of the city in a far corner of the Norwich Research Park, most people are entirely unaware of its existence.

But Anglia DNA Services is growing fast.

Quite simply, the firm offers DNA tests, done both quickly and confidentially.

Tests can be done to check for paternity or a sibling relationship for immigration reasons, child support cases and for people wishing to reunite broken branches of a family tree.

The city's is also one of just eight centres in the country that has been approved by the Ministry of Justice for its results to be used in the courtroom.

Set up in October 2004, its trade has increased tenfold in four years. In the same time the staff base has grown from just two, to 13.

DNA analyst Agatha Ajszpur in the lab with molecular geneticist Dr Steve Cummings.

Experts at the centre put the leap in custom down to a greater awareness that the technology is available, and because it is increasingly socially acceptable to check the legitimacy of family ties.

Dr Mandy Hartley, from the centre, said: “We have certainly seen a big increase in tests coming our way, there's a lot more people coming here and it's something happening all over the country - people are finding out about the technology out there to answer questions they've had for years.

“I think it's because now there are a lot more shows on telly relating to people's family backgrounds so more people are aware of it.”

She said the typical gene-tester is hard to pin-down - varying from runaway fathers who deny an offspring is theirs, to elderly patients using their dead parent's old glasses to check a niggling doubt.

“There's a wide variety of people who come to us for samples,” added Dr Hartley. “We see them from as young as 16 to elderly people. There's people who've just had a baby, and there's people who have been brought up for 20 or 30 years by someone who have just found out they might not be their parents.

“I think some of it comes from arguments between couples - a woman who wants to prove she didn't have an affair, children who have had a look at their birth certificate and question it. Some of it can just be that a child doesn't look like their parents.

“There is a common misconception that everyone is unhappy with what they find - but I would say 10pc of our clients are unhappy with the results, and the majority of results give people peace of mind. You do get a smaller majority for whom it's a great shock and it's awful.”

The bulk of the centre's work is paternity checks, with just over half of those cases done to assist a court case. Less than a fifth of the centre's trade comes from Norwich, with the majority of clients submitting their sample by post, some from as far afield as Russia, China and Thailand.

This time of year sees the number of tests increasing further, as the emotionally-charged family gatherings of Christmas and New Year rattle open sore-wounds or raise doubts in the mind.

Dr Hartley added: “We are always busy around Christmas and family times. This year we've noticed a 40pc increase in trade on the run up to Christmas. Some of the feedback I'm getting from customers is a 'now I can buy that expensive Christmas present' - people want to be sure before they make an emotional and financial investment.

“The next few weeks should be ever busier though - after Christmas and New Year we normally get even more because there are a lot of family get-togethers, and if there are any doubts in people's minds they always come out after a bit of drink.”

To see inside Anglia DNA Services and learn more watch our video at www.eveningnews24.co.uk

Have you had a DNA test and it's thrown up a surprising result? Contact Evening News reporter Rob Garratt on 01603 772439 or email rob.garratt@archant.co.uk



How they check who your dad is

DNA checks for paternity can be carried out in just eight hours - meaning if a sample is delivered early in the morning customers can have an answer by the end of the working day. Here's how they check the family connection:

A sample is collected by a simple pain-free swab to the inner mouth, which picks up cells loaded with DNA, a nucleic acid identical found in every organism that is the blueprint of who we are. It has to be logged and checked with relevant ID or postal signature.

Ethanol is then added to the mix, which breaks down the cells so pure DNA can be isolated.

A chemical reaction, called PCR, is used to amplify the sample, effectively cloning it so there is larger quantity which makes it easier to analyse.

The DNA is then run through an electronic device which fires the sample with a laser, labelling it with fluorescent dyes and making it easier to visualise. The ABI3 100 machine analyses the sample looking at fifteen different genetic markers and produces a report.

The report is then analysed to for a family connection by looking at 15 different genetic markers. Everybody has two strands for each marker, and for a paternity test one of these should be found in each parent. If none of the sample markers match it can prove conclusively that someone is not a father. But because it is not possible to check all of the millions of chains that make up human DNA, a match of all 15 markers can only confirm paternity to a minimum of 99.98pc certainty. However, such evidence would stand up in court.

The results are then checked by a second scientist, and the customer is informed of the result by phone and sent a paper copy of the report.

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