DNA Paternity Testing

Smart Drug Testing provides DNA testing in the heart of Boston. Our DNA tests can be used to satisfy US Immigration requirements, can be used to conduct ancestral research, and can be used in maternity or paternity cases. Our DNA tests are reliable, defensible and are always collected with strict adherence to protocols that ensure accuracy.

DNA paternity testing is the use of DNA profiling (known as genetic fingerprinting) to determine whether two individuals are biologically parent and child. A test establishes genetic proof whether a man is the biological father of an individual, and a maternity test establishes whether a woman is the biological mother of an individual. Tests can also determine the likelihood of someone being a biological grandparent to a grandchild. Though genetic testing is the most reliable standard, older methods also exist, including ABO blood group typing, analysis of various other proteins and enzymes, or using human leukocyte antigen antigens. The current techniques for paternity testing are using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Paternity testing can now also be performed while the woman is still pregnant from a blood draw.

DNA testing is currently the most advanced and accurate technology to determine parentage. In a DNA parentage test, the result (called the ‘probability of parentage),  is 0% when the alleged parent is not biologically related to the child and the probability of parentage is typically 99.99% when the alleged parent is biologically related to the child. However, while almost all individuals have a single and distinct set of genes, rare individuals, known as “chimeras”, have at least two different sets of genes, which can result in a false negative result if their reproductive tissue has a different genetic make-up from the tissue sampled for the test.

Smart Drug Testing delivers results for DNA tests very quickly. While paternity tests collected elsewhere can take several weeks process and while popular DNA testing services for ancestry can take up to eight weeks, Smart Test is proud to provide results in under a week. DNA testing in Boston is now faster, more accurate, secure and confidential.