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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2001-07 > 0994298890


From: Kevin Duerinck <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Surname DNA Projects/AGENUS
Date: Wed, 04 Jul 2001 21:08:10 -0500


Bob Durham <> wrote:

1) Do you recommend 20 markers based on existing
markers(Y-STR Loci), or on markers "in the works"?
[Kevin's reply: Bob, I believe that it will be either up to the testing
labs in conjunction with research labs to come to an agreement regarding a
20 marker standard, or maybe the international standards body called HUGO
(Human Gene Nomenclature Committee) based at University College, London
will have to. We need to have compare capabilities. Everyone does the
genealogy community a disservice not to have a standard test. Would like
to see it at 20, and we are all cognizant of the fact that this science is
still in its infancy and more time is needed to get where we want to go.
Either one of these options will happen or all of this will become obsolete
as testing moves into other areas, such as proteins.]
--[Kevin again: Anyway, if I was making available to the public ways to
compare DYS results with a database of results, I would have drop down
boxes for at least 20. Some of the 4 of the top labs may have 3 or 4
different markers. Until a standard is developed, I would accommodate all
these markers and their allele ranges as well. A web programmer should not
have a problem adding "a few more boxes". We in this DNA endeavor wish to
thank Agenus for this soliliquoy and chance to add our two centimes.]

2) There are a couple of Y-STR database projects
out there, notably in the US and Europe; would
you agree that synchronizing these efforts with
the surname DNA projects, both public and private,
would yield better data to more accurately place
probability for a surname and/or ethnicity?
--[Kevin again: Bob, I couldn't agree more. That is the ideal world. Again,
you need an entity greater than individual companies and labs to get them
all to sign on in delivering their results so that genealogists have 1
super database to search. Whether HUGO in London or some other outfit would
want to take that on, I don't know. I certainly could search Agenus, Family
Tree DNA, Genetree, Oxford, BYU special projects, if and when they have
searchable databases up. Would it not be nice just to search 1
database--one that would include all the other results that other Y-STR
database projects around the world are doing? Of course the presidents and
members of these entities on this list know, as we do, that it is a
sales/marketing initiative to have their own database so as to draw people
to their website, then sell them their DNA services. And there is nothing
wrong with that from a business standpoint. However, sometimes we need to
look beyond that. We need a SUPER DATABASE. If 2 or 3 of the companies get
together and form a joint venture, then also do so with some of the other
public/private Y-STR projects, then they would be the good guys, and we on
this list would steer everyone to those 2 or 3 companies. Those companies
that did not want to participate I guarantee would go out of business--IF
this type of testing was all that they did.]

[Sorry, time to watch the fireworks.]


Kevin Duerinck
Des Plaines, Illinois
USA
http://www.duerinck.com
http://www.duerinck.com/project.html ["all" DNA surname project links at
bottom]
http://www.duerinck.com/results.html [y-DNA results]
http://www.duerinck.com/mtdna.html [mtDNA results]


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