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Family Tree DNA, the world’s largest genetic genealogy company, is pleased to inform the genealogical community that it has signed a letter of agreement with Germany-based company DNA-Fingerprint leading towards the purchasing and merging of DNA-Fingerprint into Family Tree DNA.
Both Family Tree DNA and DNA-Fingerprint believe that this is a significant development, as their joint effort will be focused towards developing and improving new tests to further genealogical research.
Thomas Krahn, the principal of DNA-Fingerprint will be at Family Tree DNA’s Houston’s headquarters in early August 2006. There he will assist in organizing a state-of-the-art laboratory – currently being built adjacent to Family Tree DNA offices – with the aim of pursuing research and development of new tests, as well as processing the tests that DNA-Fingerprint currently offers. All DNA-Fingerprint tests will be available to Family Tree DNA customers once the lab is fully operational, which is scheduled for September 15, 2006.
Following our pioneering of the use of DNA for genealogy six years ago, this will be looked upon as a new milestone for the entire genealogical community, and we are very happy to have Thomas Krahn join the Family Tree DNA team said Bennett Greenspan, Family Tree DNA’s President and Founder. In addition to that, DNA-Fingerprint’s knowledge of the German market will open new opportunities for surname project administrators to access participants in the German speaking countries in Europe.
Thomas Krahn, the scientific head of DNA-Fingerprint added: We see a big future for new developments in DNA analysis to answer genealogical questions. Our new technologies will make it possible to resolve previously inconclusive genealogies even outside of the direct male or female lines. All the new technologies, like linked
X-STR testing or sequencing of larger chromosomal regions will only make sense if they are accessible to a huge international customer base, which Family Tree DNA already has.
The new laboratory in Houston will allow multi-parallel processing with modern equipment including, among others, new ABI 3730 sequencer, a state of the art robot platform and customer DNA library to preserve samples in an automated storage freezer system.
Current DNA-Fingerprint customers will continue receiving their tests processed through the new laboratory. Starting in August, DNA-Fingerprint customers need to send their new samples directly to Family Tree DNA in Houston, which will also handle customer support for those tests.
About Family Tree DNA:
Based in Houston, Texas, Family Tree DNA was founded in March of 2000. It is the world leader and foremost organization in the field of Genetic Genealogy that has been constantly developing the science that enables thousands of genealogists around the world to advance their families' research. With over 100,000 DNA records, it has the largest Y-DNA and mtDNA databases in the world, and processes a wide array of genealogy-related tests. It also provides the DNA testing for the National Geographic’s Genographic Project.
About DNA-Fingerprint:
Based in the outskirts of Berlin, capital of Germany. Since 2003 DNA-Fingerprint specializes in more complex ancestry testing, including extensive Y-STR, X-STR and mtDNA analysis. DNA-Fingerprint's laboratory can provide nearly any marker system that a customer desires. Its research is focused on asymmetrical multicopy markers in the palindromic region of the Y chromosome with the purpose to explain apparent mismatches in closely related individuals by recombination processes on the palindromic arms.
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