I got the following note from Laura Burgess, with Parabon® NanoLabs:
I work with Parabon NanoLabs. They have created a DNA Phenotyping service called Snapshot. By using the smallest amount of DNA they produce lifelike images of what the person looked like. Right now, law enforcement is using their service to solve cold cases from across the country. The Department of Defense has also contracted with them to use this service to help in the identification of some 83,000 remains of our fallen soldiers from past conflicts. In fact one was just in the news from Pearl Harbor today. What they need though is the help of more Americans to provide their DNA so they can link families to many of these unclaimed remains. Any family that volunteers will get a free ancestry analysis, but we just need up to 500 people (about 50 families) to participate by February in order to meet the DoD’s guidelines.
The following News Release is from Parabon® NanoLabs
Extended families recruited to advance identification methods using DNA from distant relatives
Reston, Va. (6 October 2016) — Parabon® NanoLabs (Parabon) announced today a call for participants in a research study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), in which DNA samples from distant relatives will be analyzed to develop innovative kinship and ancestry algorithms and associated laboratory methods to extend familial matching beyond current capabilities. Traditional DNA methods only allow remains to be identified if DNA from closely related family members is available. Many unidentified Service members, however, do not have living family members who are closely related. This study aims to increase the genetic distance over which kinship can be accurately inferred. The enhancements made possible by this research will assist in the identification of the toughest missing personnel cases by “matching” DNA from distant relatives to that of deceased Service members, including those from long past conflicts, such as World War II.
“This cause is personal to us at Parabon. Like many families in America, some of us at the company have loved ones who went missing in action. This study will help us make technological advances that will one day reunite fathers, sons, brothers and uncles with their families. We need volunteers from extended families to make this research possible,” said Paula Armentrout, vice president of Parabon NanoLabs.
Parabon seeks to enroll 50-100 extended families (5 to 10 volunteers per family) to participate in the study. Participating families do not need to have a direct relation to an M.I.A. soldier in order to qualify. Volunteers for the study will simply supply a sample of DNA from a mouth swab and answer questions about their family tree. In return for participation, each volunteer will receive a custom DNA ancestry report and a small stipend. There is no cost to participate. Those interested in participating in the study can sign up to be considered at:
https://snapshot.parabon-nanolabs.com/kinship-signup.
“Our ideal study participants are all related by blood and come from an extended family network that includes a wide variety of distant relatives, such as second cousins, great-uncles, and grandchildren,” said Ellen Greytak, PhD, Principal Investigator of the study. “We will study the similarity of their DNA and use the knowledge gained to improve our kinship inference methods.”
The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Emerging Capability & Prototyping is funding this research to help support the Department’s Personnel Accounting mission.
About Parabon® NanoLabs, Inc.:
Parabon® NanoLabs is a vertically integrated DNA technology company that develops next-generation forensic and therapeutic products, which leverage the enormous power of DNA. Staffed by a uniquely qualified team of scientists and technologists, with expertise ranging from bioinformatics and chemistry to computer science and pharmacology, Parabon is bringing to market revolutionary new products and services made possible by recent advances in DNA sequencing, analysis and manufacturing technologies.
