What happens in a DNA lab can alter the course of history.  In the case of two individuals from New York city, DNA analysis freed one person from prison and sent his accuser into a prison sentence of her own.

William McCaffrey was convicted of rape in 2005 based on testimony from the victim who said she was gang raped at knife point by three men including McCaffrey  while walking to a party in upper Manhattan.  McCaffrey was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The alleged victim Biurny Peguero recanted her testimony last year, admitting she lied in an attempt to cover up a fight she had with some friends.  She told the court her friends were impatient with her for complaining about the men who frightened but did not attack her.  By lying that she had been raped Peguero hoped for more sympathy.

DNA testing confirmed that the bite marks on Peguero could not have been made by McCaffrey.  In September of 2009 a judge declared McCaffrey innocent.

In his 10 page decision State Supreme Court Judge Richard D. Carruthers wrote “the only reasonable conclusion to draw from Peguero’s recantation, the DNA results, and the statements of witnesses made after the recantation is that Mr. McCaffrey did not commit the crimes of which he was convicted.”

Peguero pleaded guilty on two counts of perjury.  She will now be the one in prison for up to seven years.  McCaffrey spent four years in jail on the wrongful conviction.

This is the latest in a series of prison cases overturned on DNA evidence, leading one to ask how many innocent men were erroneously sentenced to death in the decades before science could prove innocence?

In his decision, Judge Carruthers called wrongful convictions “a catastrophe both for the injured party and for the criminal justice system”, proving the vital nature of the work of a DNA lab.

A case of DNA diagnostics in a high school in Manhattan uncovered a species of cockroach not previously familiar to scientists.

Brenda Tan, 17, and her Trinity School classmate 18 year old Matt Cost conducted a student experiment on classifying species by a single gene instead of the complete set of genes more commonly used.  Rockefeller University and the American Museum of Natural History were collaborators on the work.

The pair set about their upper West Side neighborhood in New York City and over four months, collected specimens of 95 species in their every day existence.  There wasn’t much new information in the results.  For example, all their classmates who gave a hair sample learned they were part of the human race, chuckled Tan.

And yet when the students collected what looked like a typical cockroach lying dead on the floor of an apartment, they learned from the Natural History Museum that genetically speaking, the cockroach had a four percent difference from all 65,000 species in the database.

The ramifications of this are enormous and question what the scientific community knew about cockroaches.  More research will now be done to see if this is indeed an entirely new species.

The other surprises in the research, as reported in The New York Times, were that many household items were not accurately labeled.  A sample of venison dog treats turned out to be beef, some sturgeon caviar was nothing more than paddlefish from Mississippi, and some pricey sheep’s milk cheese was actually made from cow’s milk.

This form of “DNA Barcoding” is only six years old, but it is becoming a valuable resource in the classification of items.  All the DNA databases are available to the public so lab workers need only submit a sample for the DNA diagnostics to reveal proof of identity.

Today, DNA testing extends to man’s best friend, thanks to the Mars Company, makers of popular dog food brands.

If you are among the 25 million American owners of a mixed breed dog, you might recognize physical markers that link him to particular breeds, but can you be sure of your knowledge?  Or suppose you have a purebred dog.  Can you be sure there are no other breeds in the mix?

Using a blood sample extracted by a veterinary office, researchers can open a whole new page on the relationship you have with “man’s best friend”.   It’s called the Wisdom Panel, and at approximately $80.00, it is about one-half the cost of DNA testing for humans.

The Mar’s company has a veterinary database that covers 99 percent of American Kennel Club breeds.   Some owners are content not knowing the full genetic history of their pet however others want to know the health risks associated with certain breeds to create a wellness plan with their veterinarian. Certain risk factors occur with one breed more than another.  Having the precise information about ancestry can help to form an exercise and diet plan.

DNA testing for dogs can save a dog’s life.  For example,, some breeds are sensitive to anesthesia and in an emergency situation knowing the breed, even if it is a small physical factor in the appearance of the dog can mean the difference between life and death.

Of course, not all DNA information on a pet will be used for health considerations.  Sometimes this additional information adds to the attachment pet owners feel with their dog.   Owners who assumed their dog was a shepherd breed may actually have a dog that is predominately retriever and this may create new excitement in the family.

Discuss the possibility of DNA testing for your pet with your veterinarian.

In the past 20 years DNA testing labs have sprung up across the country to meet the demand for this scientific tool that can do so much

When you submit to a standard DNA test, you can take a home test or go to a lab. Once the sample is received, lab workers will denature, amplify and mark DNA samples into smaller segments with a fluorescent tagging device called STR through PCR. There is a second option. The lab may tag the samples RFLP or mtDNA.

The DNA segments become separated and identified through gel electrophoresis or capillary electrophoresis. When this process is complete workers interpret the data to determine paternity or genealogy. At this time the results are released to the authorized individuals.

The most common use of DNA testing is for paternity and for this purpose the lab will employ the STR polymorphism. STR stands for short tandem repeats and they are useful genetic markers. The number of repeats is different with each individual but they are inherited in a predictable pattern from parent to child.

Because STRs come from both biological parents they are a practical DNA segment for identification. Children receive half their DNA from their mother and half from their father so it’s easy to confirm the biological relationship with children and parents by comparing their STRs. This method is used more than any other because they can be easily amplified in the testing process.

Mitochondrial DNA testing is another tool to see if people are biologically related. Mitochondria is found in all cells and passed down from a mother to her children. This test determines the organization of the DNA base pairs which is unique to every family.

No matter what method DNA testing labs use, the results will provide 99.9% accuracy of findings.

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Performing DNA testing before birth is becoming more commonplace. Clinicians can do a genetic test with small samples of tissue or blood. If you are pregnant you and your partner and fetus can be tested for genes that could carry inherited illnesses.

To perform genetic testing on a fetus, mothers undergo one of two tests. Chorionic villus sampling is done between weeks 10 and 12 of the pregnancy and involves the removal of a tiny piece of the placenta to check for potential genetic defects in the child. There is a risk of miscarriage with this test as it is considered an invasive procedure.

Amniocentesis is more common and performed between the 16th and 18th week of pregnancy. A needle is inserted into the woman’s abdomen to extract a small sample of amniotic fluid from the womb. This test can detect genetic defects and gender; it can also determine the maturity of the baby’s lungs in cases of premature birth. As with chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis carries with it a small risk of miscarriage.

Sometimes couples or their physician believe there is a genetic risk for the baby and he may order genetic counseling on the fetus.

If a close relative has an illness that runs in families the parent may want to be tested for a recessive gene. This occurs when an individual carries the gene that can cause a disorder but does not have the disorder himself or herself. However, as parents they might pass the gene, and the risk, down to their child.

If a woman has had two miscarriages or more, there may be an underlying genetic cause. Lastly, if a woman delivered a stillborn child with birth defects, she may want DNA testing before birth to give future pregnancies a better outcome.

Note: We are not doctors and we do not present any of the content on this website as medical information. We have presented information to the general public through research that we have been able to find. You should always consult with a physician or your medical specialist before any such procedures.

Folic Acid in the Prevention of Birth Defects

Twenty years of rigorous research shows that adequate consumption of folic acid before and during the first trimester of pregnancy can prevent up to 50% – 70% of neural tube defects (NTDs), a condition that can result in anencephaly and spina bifida….

By following the information on this website you will become confident on when to perform DNA testing before birth.

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