Comparison of DNA tests and "blood testing" In the field of paternity testing, molecular genetic methods using DNA technologies have fully replaced classical serologic "blood" tests that had been widely used up until the 90´s. Using serologic tests, it was possible to exclude paternity but it was not able to confirm paternity with a high level of accuracy. The other drawback of "blood tests" was that the tested child must have been at least one year of age. Additionaly, the samples had to be tested immediately after taking the blood because they could not be stored. Sometimes, it was even posible that false results would occur (a true father was excluded from paternity and vice versa). For these reasons, after the development of molecular biology in the early 80´s, serologic paternity testing was gradually be abandoned in favour of molecular genetic testing.
These days, although "blood tests" are rarely used for paternity testing anywhere, blood can still serve as a source of DNA. For molecular paternity methods, it does not matter if DNA is obtained from blood cells or gathered by the buccal swab. In GENERI BIOTECH, we prefer a buccal swab because it provides enough cells for DNA testing and the sampling is painless.
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