HAMMERSMITH, U.K. -- DDC (DNA Diagnostics Centre) and it’s division, DDC Medical, one of the world’s largest providers of DNA tests, announced today that all DNA tests utilising Short Tandem Repeat (STR) DNA testing technology, including Paternity and Cell Line Authentication testing, will now examine 22 genetic markers versus 17, which until today has been the core standard in the industry.
With the increase in the number of genetic markers used to create unique DNA profiles, DDC and DDC Medical remain at the forefront of human relationship and cell identity testing. The company continues to lead the industry by introducing this upgraded capability at no additional cost or turn-around time to the consumer. Dr. Michael Baird, DDC’s Chief Science Officer and one of the first experts to cite DNA in a court of law, says, “This exciting change in our protocol increases DDC’s power of a unique DNA signature by more than 5 fold. By including these additional markers, we continue to provide the most comprehensive test battery available for human identification.”
About Dr. Baird:
Dr. Michael Baird, Chief Science Officer of DDC, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts in DNA and paternity testing, and was the first person to testify in a criminal DNA case in the US, and since 1987, has been involved in more than 350 court cases involving DNA and paternity. He is currently the Chair of the Relationship Testing Committee of the AABB responsible for developing standards for paternity testing. Dr. Baird has authored or coauthored over 50 peer reviewed scientific articles involving DNA identification analysis. He has served as an on-air consultant to NBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and many of the world’s leading news outlets. Dr. Baird received his BA in Biology from Drew University in 1971, his MA in Biology from the State University of New York in 1973, and earned his PhD in Genetics from the University of Chicago in 1978. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan in the department of human genetics where he studied sickle cell anemia, followed by a position as a Research Associate at Columbia University in the department of human genetics. Dr. Baird served on the panel of the Office of Technology Assessment for the U.S. Congress studying the use of DNA for identification. He also presented information to the panels of the National Research Council that studied DNA testing methods and issued reports in 1992 and 1996.
About DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC):
DDC is one of the world’s largest DNA testing companies. Founded 19 years ago, DDC offers comprehensive DNA testing services for paternity and other family relationships, forensics, cell line authentication, and ancestry. DDC receives more than 800,000 consumer calls each year and performs over half a million tests annually. The Company is known for its groundbreaking technologies, including an exclusive license for the most innovative and accurate non-invasive prenatal paternity test using SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) Microarray Technology, which only requires a simple blood draw from the mother and alleged father. DDC's unique Dual Process™ ensures all professionally collected DNA samples are independently tested twice producing legal results of unmatched quality and reliability. DDC is recognisd through a number of accreditations nationally and internationally achieving perfect ratings in its past 19 inspections including those performed by the (AABB) and (CAP). DDC is also accredited by ACLASS to meet the standards of ISO 17025:2005 and the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board International and follows the DNA Advisory Board (DAB) guidelines, which attests to DDC's superior forensic testing service. DDC is also accredited by the Ministry of Justice. For further information: www.dna-bioscience.co.uk or 0800 321 7016.
