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QuickDNA Tests Meet International Lab Industry Standards

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DNA illustration

(Nogas1974, Wikimedia Commons)

19 Jan. 2023. For laboratory tests with enormous consequences to their subjects, it’s vital that the labs conducting the tests meet exacting standards for quality and reliability. For that purpose, the International Organization for Standardization or ISO in 2005 devised its standard 17025 for testing and calibration laboratories, published with the International Electrotechnical Commission or IEC.

ISO/IEC 17025, revised and updated since 2005, is designed to assure users of reliability of lab test results, along with sampling and calibration services. The standards apply to labs in government agencies, universities, and not-for-profit organizations, as well as private companies. The Covid-19 pandemic revealed the high public health need for reliability in lab tests, to detect and control the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

But lab test results can have enormous personal as well as public health consequences. An example of this type of test is one for DNA parentage, to determine family connections. Results of these tests can reveal familial links from DNA, often to answer sensitive paternity questions, where results can determine financial obligations or even criminal penalties.

DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is made of two linked strands of amino acids, with the sequence of those amino acids making up an individual’s genetic code. Much of a person’s genetic code is passed down from parents, where high degrees of similarity in DNA sequences indicate family connections. Most tests use minimal or non-invasive biological speciments such as blood sample or saliva swab, although in some cases hair, gum, or used toothbrushes can be used.

The company QuickDNA offers its DNA Parentage Test to answer questions of family connections, and says its labs are certified compliant with ISO/IEC 17025 standards. The company says it returns results in 72 hours and keeps the findings confidential. QuickDNA also offers DNA tests for prenatal parentage, as well as ancestry and animal breed determination.

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