• Standard Trio Paternity Test - Test Mother, Child, 1 Alleged Father.  Average turnaround time is three business days from receipt of all samples (NEXT business day options are available).

In a standard trio paternity test, samples are collected from the mother, a child, and alleged father.  The mother's participation in the test helps to exclude half of the child's DNA, leaving the other half for comparison with the alleged father's DNA.  However, a test can be performed without the mother's participation (a motherless test), which involves additional analysis, without any additional charge.  Results are equally as conclusive whether the mother participates or not.  Motherless tests are guaranteed to have at least a 99.9% probability of paternity for inclusions and 100% for exclusion.

Test performed in our local facility do not incur a collection fee, unless a mobile collection is done.  Additionally, the mother is collected free of charge.  If testing requires a specimen collection at another facility, a specimen collection fee may be charged by that facility, and will vary depending on each facility's charge (typically $15 - $40).

We can also test additional children or alleged fathers if needed.  There is a nominal additional DNA testing and analysis fee for each additional tested party.  PLEASE CALL US FOR PRICING if you need testing for more parties than mother, child and alleged father (for example, if there are multiple alleged fathers, or more than one (1) child to be tested).

Standard pricing includes three (3) business day delivery from time all samples are received in lab.

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• Motherless Paternity Test - Test Child and 1 Alleged Father.  Average turnaround time is 3 business days from the receipt of all samples.  (NEXT business day options are available).

Standard pricing includes three (3) business day delivery from time all samples are received in lab.

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• Maternity Testing - A maternity test is a DNA test that determines whether a woman could be the biological mother of a child. Test requires the Child, Alleged Mother and Biological Father.  If the father is not available, a fatherless test can be performed, without additional charge.  Average turnaround is 3 business days from receipt of all samples.  (3 business day and NEXT business day options are available).

Maternity test results are used in the following circumstances:

• Confirm that an adoptee has been reunited with his/her birth mother.
• Confirm that an embryo conceived through in vitro fertilization was implanted into the correct mother.
• Resolve situations in which mothers or hospital staff suspect that a baby mix-up has occurred in the nursery.

Standard pricing includes three (3) business day delivery from time all samples are received in lab.

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• Post Mortem Viability Study - This test involves performing an analysis on a sample from a deceased individual to determine if there is sufficient DNA to proceed with parentage testing.  Routine turnaround time is approximately 2 weeks from receipt of specimen (for the viability analysis only).  This time may vary due to the type and quality of the submitted specimen.  Further parentage testing can proceed once it is determined that the specimen yields viable DNA.

The following information is needed for clients needing viability analysis:

1. Will there be or has there been an autopsy performed?  If so, date of autopsy.
2. Type and quantity of available specimen.  Possible specimens include:  blood, buccal swabs, FTA cards and parchment paper, tissue, hair (roots intact - need at least 7-10 plucked hairs - more if possible).
3. Storage method of available specimen.  (example -- frozen, refrigerated or room temperature).
4. Type of container the specimen has been stored in.  (example -- purple top EDTA tube).
5. Date and cause of death.
6. Name and phone number of the "next of kin" or attorney for the estate of the deceased.
7. Name of the person or facility in possession of the stored specimen.  Are they willing to release the specimen?  (Many Medical Examiners and hospitals require either a court order or written permission from the "next of kin" before releasing a sample).
8. A consent form for the deceased will need to be completed.  Name, date of birth and race of the deceased patient is needed.

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• Paternity - Deceased Alleged Father - Test is performed when the alleged father is deceased.  In many cases, the Medical Examiner's Office can provide a blood or tissue sample.  A blood stain or blood spot card from the Medical Examiner's office is an ideal sample.  You can also determine if a vial of blood is available in newer cases (30 days or so).  With this sample from the deceased alleged father, the paternity of the child can be determined.  Testing requires samples from the mother, the child, and the blood or tissue sample from the deceased alleged father.  The tissue sample cannot have been preserved in formaldehyde or paraffin wax.  Average turnaround time is approximately 2 weeks; however, this can vary depending on the type of sample provided for the alleged sample.

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• Grandparentage Test - This test determines whether a couple could be the biological grandparents of a child.  It can be performed to determine genetic relationships in the event an alleged father is deceased or unavailable for testing.  Grandparentage test results may be used as proof in Social Security benefit and other inheritance claims as well as in some immigration cases.

Samples are required Child and from both Paternal Grandparents (the biological parents of the alleged father).  This is essential in order to reconstruct the alleged father's DNA pattern.

It strongly encouraged that the Mother of the child also provide a sample.  This allows for half of the genetic material passed to the child to be accounted for.  The average turnaround time is six (6) business days from the receipt of all samples (with the mother's participation).  A probability of 99.9% or greater may be achieved, indicating an inclusion.  The testing shows a probability of grandparentage, however, and does not directly name the father of the child.  A probability of 0% will indicate an exclusion.

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• Genetic Reconstruction - Genetic reconstruction entails a series of DNA tests and is conducted to determine whether or not a child is related to the alleged father's close relatives.  This allows an indirect way to determine family relationships when an alleged father is not available for a paternity test.
• Mother of the child MUST be included in testing.
• Average turnaround time is fourteen (14) business days from receipt of all specimens.

Genetic Reconstruction is similar to putting together a puzzle.  Thus, detailed information is needed to order to determine who needs to be included in the testing and what fees would be involved.

• Is there a stored specimen available from the deceased alleged father?  (If yes, please see POST MORTEM TESTING)
• Is the mother of the child in question available for testing?
• Are one or both of the biological parents of the deceased individual available for testing?  (If yes, please see GRANDPARENTAGE)
• Are biological full brothers or sisters of the deceased individual available for testing?  How many?
• Are additional children of the deceased individual available for testing?  Do they share the same mother as the child in question and is she available for testing?  (If yes, please see SIBLINGSHIP STUDIES

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• Prenatal Testing with Amniocentesis - This test can prove the paternity of a child before a child is born.  This is a medical procedure that is performed between 14-24 weeks gestational age.  The mother must discuss with her doctor (OB-GYN) the potential risks involved, along with making arrangements to have the procedure performed.  The actual procedure involveds the insertion of a needle into the womb and drawing out approximately 10cc's of amniotic fluid.  If this is the option the mother chooses, we can coordinate with the physician.  Amniotic fluid is time sensitive and must be tested immediately.  The test requires samples from the mother, alleged father and the amniotic fluid.  Results can be obtained in an average of one (1) week from the receipt of samples.

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• Prenatal Testing with Chronic Villus Sample (CVS) - This test can prove the paternity of a child before it is born.  The CVS procedure is a medical procedure that typically is performed between 10-13 weeks gestational age.  This procedure is done by removing a very small portion of the placenta through a vaginal procedure.  The mother must discuss with her doctor (OB-GYN) the potential risks involved, along with making arrangements to have the procedure performed.  CVS tissue also is time sensitive and must be started immediately upon receipt of the samples.  Must have samples of the mother, alleged father, and the CVS sample.  The average turnaround time is 1-2 weeks from the receipt of samples.

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• Siblingship - These studies provides the probability of a genetic relationship between two persons.

Full Siblingship Study - Testing which is ordered for clients wanting to determine if they have both parents in common (sharing the same mother and the same father).

• Routine turnaround time for results is 6 working days from the receipt of all samples (with common Mother included in test).  The average turnaround time without a common Mother in the test is 14 working days. 
• Siblings must share a common parent for full siblingship testing.  A full siblingship test can be performed if two individuals (Sibling 1 and Sibling 2) know they share the same mother, but want to know if they share the same father (who is unavailable for testing).  A full siblingship can be performed even if the mother is not available for testing.  However, the mother's participation is always encouraged for more conclusive results. 
• Conclusions are a "likelihood". Guaranteed results are not possible for this type of testing.
• Results will show a Combined Siblingship Index, a statistical value showing the genetic odds in favor of the relationship.  This number represents the number of times that the tested individuals are more likely than not to be biologically related as siblings.

Half Siblingship Study - Testing ordered for clients who want to determine if they have one parent in common (share the same mother OR the same father).

• Routine turnaround time for results is 14 working days from the receipt of all samples.
• Conclusions are a "likelihood".  Guaranteed results are not possible for this type of testing.
• Half Siblingship analysis can be performed on a maximum of two (2) alleged siblings at a time.
• A half siblingship test is performed if two individuals (Sibling 1 and Sibling 2) know they have different mothers but want to know if they share the same father (who is unavailable for testing.  A half siblingship can also be performed even if one or both mothers are not available for testing.  However, a other's participation is always encouraged for more conclusive results.
• Results will show a Combined Siblingship Index, a statistical value showing the genetic odds in favor of the relationship.  This number represents the number of times that the tested individuals are more likely than not to be biologically related as siblings.

Usually the results from these types of test (Siblingship) will not hold up in a court of law since the results are inconclusive.

In a case where half-sister #1 and half-sister #2 share the same mother, and half-sister #2 has a child who is suspected of possibly being the child of half-sister #1's father (making the child also a half-sister to #1) -- it would not be possible to perform a half-siblingship study.  This is due to the fact that there is already a known biological relationship existing between the child of half-sister #2 and half-sister #1.  The solution would be a standard paternity test whereby samples would be collected from the alleged father (father of half-sister #1) and the child of half-sister #2.

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• Twin Zygosity Test - This test is performed to definitively show whether sets of twins are fraternal or identical. 

(Definition of zygote:  "A  zygote is the product of the fusion of an egg and a sperm. It contains two copies of each chromosome, one from each parent. Egg and sperms cells, on the other hand, each contain only one copy of each chromosome. The zygote develops into an embryo.")

Usually when twins are born, the physician is able to tell whether twins are identical or fraternal by examining the placenta.  Identical twins usually share a placenta, while fraternal twins are usually in two different placentas.  Fraternal twins will not have exactly the same DNA, although like other siblings, they will share some of the DNA they inherit from both parents.

Records can be lost, however, and the placentas may have been discarded or damaged before twin zygosity was determined, or doubt may arise because of the twins' physical characteristics.  In these cases, only a DNA test will be able to reveal the truth.  A twin zygosity test compares the twins' DNA profiles to see whether they are a match.  An exact match proves they are identical.

A twin zygosity test may be used to satisfy personal curiosity as well as to help solve health problems for the future.  For example, in case of one twin needing an organ or tissue transplant donor, the identical twin is a perfect choice.

Fraternal twins are the product of two eggs and two sperm cells.  A set of fraternal twins can have two different fathers.  Sperm cells can live in a woman's body from 4 to 5 days.  Once released by an ovary, an egg cell remains viable for 12 to 48 hours.  Should a woman have sexual relations with more than one man during this fertile period and release two egg cells while she is ovulating, she could become pregnant with fraternal twins who have two different fathers.

There are even rare cases where assisted fertility methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), can produce fraternal twins with different fathers.  Should the sperm sample used in an IVF case inadvertently contain a mixture of different donor's sperm, any resulting zygotes could have different fathers.  While this is a rare occurrence, it has happened.

It is for this reason that we recommend both fraternal twins involved in a paternity case be tested against the alleged father.

Unlike fraternal twins, identical twins cannot have two different fathers, as identical twins are the product of one egg and one sperm cell whose zygote splits early in its development.  Since only one zygote was formed in fertilization, only one man can be the father.

Requires samples from Twin A and Twin B.  Turnaround averages 5 business days from receipt of all samples.

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• Y-Chromosome Test - This test can prove the paternity of two males within the same paternal lineage, and is typically done when the alleged father is deceased, the alleged paternal grandparents are deceased or unavailable, and there are no other samples available for testing.  This test can only be performed within the paternal line of the person in question since males receive their Y-chromosome only from the father.

The Y-chromosome is passed from father to son relatively unchanged through many generations.  The Y-Chromosome test examines specific locations on the Y chromosome to generate a Y-STR profile for each male tested.  Males who are related through their fathers will tend to have the same or similar Y-STR profiles, and males who are not related will likely have different Y-STR profiles.

Two (2) or more males are required for this test.  Average turnaround is about 9 business days from receipt of all samples.

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• Semen Detection * - This type of test is typically performed on a garment, undergarment or other item (pantiliner, etc.) when a person suspects another of infidelity or other sexual activity.  The results indicate whether the item is positive or negative for the presence of semen.  This type of test is NOT a DNA test.  It determines whether there is a presence of semen on a garment or item.  It does not determine whether DNA is present, if there is enough DNA, or if there is usable DNA.  If the garment or item test positive for the presence of semen, the next step to pursue is a DNA DETECTION TEST.

The testing method utilized in our Semen Detection Test is Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), which is a confirmatory test.  The detection of PSA on forensic samples is often helpful since it will confirm the presence of semen even in samples involving vasectomized or azospermic individuals.  (Other methods often utilized are Microscopic Inspection which looks for sperm, not semen; and Acid Phosphatase (AP) which is a presumptive test and can test positive for substances other than semen.)

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• DNA Detection Test * - This test detects whether DNA is present, and it also indicates whether there is enough usable, viable DNA for comparison.  This type of test will detect DNA from the female wearing the garment or undergarment, as well as the DNA from semen found on the garment.  Testing can be done which will only detect the male DNA and disregards any female DNA -- SEE DNA DETECTION TEST, YSTR.

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• DNA Detection Test, YSTR * - This test detects whether male DNA is present and disregards any female DNA on an item or garment.  It also will indicate whether there is enough usable DNA for comparison.  In the event a female has had sexual relations with the close male biological relative of a spouse or boyfriend, it may not be possible to distinguish the male DNA from those of the spouse/boyfriend and their relative (brother, father, grandfather, close cousin). 

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• Differential Extraction Test * - This test separates male DNA from female DNA.  It cannot separate males from males or females from females.

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• DNA Comparison Study * - This test compares the DNA from a standard sample (usually a buccal swab from the cheek) to one DNA Profile detected in the DNA Detection Test.

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*Note:  Since samples are not collected under a strict chain of custody by a third neutral party, and the origin of the samples cannot be verified, this test may not be defensible in a court of law.

• DNA Banking - DNA Banking allows individuals to store a sample of their DNA in a secure facility.  This is an excellent way to identify and locate a person using their DNA sample.

Banked DNA may be used for future DNA tests in the following cases:

• To protect against illegitimate claims on an individual's estate
• To provide a standard for comparison and identification of people in high-risk professions, such as men and women in the military, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and overseas contractors
• To assist with the identification of children or missing persons or give clues about the trail of a missing loved one
• To identify inherited traits, such as genetic diseases and other physical characteristics.

A child's DNA will remain consistent throughout their lifetime.  The only safe way to protect it is to have a DNA sample properly stored under ideal conditions.  This ensures that should an emergency occur, the DNA sample could assist law enforcement in locating the child.  Storing samples at home is not advisable, since humidity, moisture and high temperature could render the samples unusable.  You can rest assured knowing your DNA sample will be stored in a secure, climate-controlled facility, which is protected from the elements and from theft or tampering.  With a properly sealed and stored sample, a DNA sample can last for an indefinite period of time.

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• DNA Profiling - DNA Profiling allows individuals to obtain a record of their genetic profile.  This unique combination of markers found in DNA serves as a permanent genetic ID.  Individuals may choose to obtain DNA profiles for themselves and their children in case identification is ever needed.  A DNA profile may be used for the following:
  • Future paternity tests in case of claims on an individual's estate.
  • To provide a standard for comparison and identification of remains of people in high-risk situations, such as men and women in combat.
  • To help solve cases in which children run away or are abducted.

Clients receive a copy of their DNA profile for their records.  Also Clients who order a DNA profile may also choose a complimentary DNA banking service, in which their DNA samples will be stored for fifteen (15) years in a secure, environmentally controlled facility.

The test involved one (1) individual.  Turnaround time averages 5 business days from the time a sample is collected.

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• Drug Testing - See separate page on SUBSTANCE ABUSE TESTING.