New method for DNA collection from children

New methods of collecting DNA using saliva samples could help enhance cohort datasets with valuable biological information, a new Ipsos study suggests.

New methods of collecting DNA using saliva samples could help enhance cohort datasets with valuable biological information, a new study suggests. Researchers at the Institute of Education's Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) and Ipsos tested the viability of collecting saliva from 11-year-olds and their natural mothers and fathers. They found that most children and their parents were willing to consent to the procedure when provided with clear information on how and why their samples were being taken. This was the first attempt in the UK to collect saliva samples for DNA extraction from children in a home setting. It is also thought to be the first time genetic material has been obtained from natural fathers, as well as natural mothers and children, in a study of this kind.

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