2006 National DNA Day Online Chatroom Transcript
This is just one question from an archive of the National DNA Day Moderated Chat held in April 2006. The NHGRI Director and many genomics experts from across NHGRI took questions from students, teachers and the general public on topics ranging from basic genomic research, to the genetic basis of disease, to ethical questions about genetic privacy.
| 6073 |
When an accident occurs and your body cannot be identified by appearance so that DNA is used, what DNA source is this matched with?
| |
Les Biesecker, M.D.: There are two ways to do this. The first is to match the DNA to other known sources of that person's DNA. These include toothbrushes, hairbrushes, blood spots from their newborn screening card, bone marrow donor banks, etc. This is called a direct match. The second way to do it is to collect DNA from their close relatives and see if the DNA from the body partially matches the DNA from potential family members. This is called kinship matches. This process is further explained at: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/209493.pdf |
| walton philadelphia, Mississippi |
|
