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In nearly every western country (EU countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc) the samples are securely stored indefinitely - in the US it depends on the s
by jjcon 4y ago
In nearly every western country (EU countries, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc) the samples are securely stored indefinitely - in the US it depends on the state but many do keep the samples there as well. That does not mean they are readily accessible- there have been cases of misuse but it is extremely rare.
From a DNA perspective one can only use the Guthrie test samples for about a decade after collection so yes, in a worst case abuse scenario we have cards that could be mined for DNA across a bunch of <10 year olds.
- jxf 4y ago> From a DNA perspective one can only use the Guthrie test samples for about a decade after collection Why is that? Is it because of sample degradation of some kind?
- jjcon 4y agoYes - blood must be kept at very specific temperatures and conditions if you want to preserve its usefulness in DNA sequencing - most of these are dried blood cards without strong controls which makes them not particularly useful for good DNA data.
- User23 4y agoScientists have extracted usable DNA from from 7000 year old corpses. I imagine the technology exists for a decades old blood sample if it’s stored at least somewhat properly.
- jjcon 4y agoYes that is very true - There is however quite a bit of difference between a full corpse that is mildly preserved and a dried fleck of blood - a big difference too between a stored fluid blood sample and these pinprick dried sample.
- xeromal 4y agoIt's probably prohibitively expensive at the moment.