Today I received an email from MyHeritageDNA reporting that a test kit for a relative is being processed. Here is the text of the email (I have blocked the test subject’s name for privacy).
Hi Wallace,
__________’s DNA sample is currently being processed in our CLIA-certified DNA lab.
Status: DNA extraction in progress
We wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how the DNA gets processed at our lab.
Here is the process, step-by-step:
Our technicians inspect the sample and make sure it’s intact.
The DNA is extracted from the cells in the vial and amplified. In other words, we make copies of the DNA in order to make sure we have enough of it to analyze.
The DNA is placed on a custom-made DNA genotyping chip and heated to a high temperature so the DNA can attach itself to the chip (hybridization).
A computer reads the hybridized chips, producing the DNA data.
The DNA data goes through a rigorous review to ensure it meets our high quality standards.
The DNA data is uploaded to the MyHeritage website, where it is analyzed and matched, and the results are served to you!
Best regards,
The MyHeritage team
The email includes the URL for a video showing how MyHeritageDNA conducts its testing. Go here to see the sophisticated equipment and procedures used for MyHeritageDNA testing.
The subject of this test is a nephew of my late wife, M.J., and it will be interesting to see how his test results compare not only with hers but also those of an aunt, a first cousin, and a first cousin once removed, all on his father’s side.
What I am really hoping for is a match to a distant cousin who might be related to his four-great grandfather so that we might be able to figure out who the four-great grandfather’s parents were. The four-great grandfather’s birth year and birthplace have been widely reported (though not documented by primary sources), but no one has connected him to parents and earlier generations.
FYI, MyHeritageDNA is offering test kits for only $69, plus shipping. Click here if you want to order a test.
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