The Genetic Link welcomes guest blog authors. Our first guest submission is from Rachel Dvoskin, Ph.D., with the University of Florida. We thank Rachel for her submission and welcome her as a guest author. I hope you enjoy this article.
At the department of Anthropology and Genetics Institute at the University of Florida, we study genetic variation in modern human populations to answer diverse questions ranging from the route early humans took when they first migrated out of Africa to the underlying causes of racial differences in susceptibility to complex diseases. To explore these varied aspects of human evolutionary history, we spend a lot of time figuring out how to collect DNA from a large number of volunteers. With today's genetic technology, all that's necessary is to obtain a small blood or saliva sample from each of our participants -- a task relatively easy to do in concept but quite a bit more challenging in practice.
When doing this kind of research -- whether at home or abroad -- we come up against a bunch of potential hurdles. Language and cultural barriers can make it difficult to explain what we are doing and what we are hoping to gain from our participants. As a blond, female, American anthropologist who could hardly say hello in Arabic, Dr. Connie Mulligan never expected collecting DNA samples to be as easy as it was in the remote corners of the Middle Eastern country of Yemen. The Oragene•DNA saliva collection kits are non-invasive, simple to use, and even include illustrated instructions right on the package, making their use completely self-explanatory. We had no problem collecting saliva samples from hundreds of Yemeni participants, including many women garbed in the full abaya.
Furthermore, the lack of need for freezing or refrigeration allowed us to travel around the country without worrying about storage conditions. The disks are small and self-contained, and we did not have to carry any separate buffers or processing equipment. The saliva collectors made it possible to obtain large volumes of high-quality DNA. This DNA is used to answer questions about the movement of early humans out of Arabia. We will soon be able to thank our Yemeni study participants by telling them something new about their country's role in the peopling of the world.
We are now gearing up to do a study here in our own backyard in Florida. In collaboration with cultural anthropologists, we are studying how genetic factors and the social environment interact to influence a person's susceptibility to hypertension. Because we are interested in racial disparities in health in the U.S., we chose to conduct our community-based study in Tallahassee, a city with a long history of racial tension and civil rights activism. Given the potential for misuse of genetic information and the rare but horrific cases of unethical medical experimentation on oppressed minorities, it is understandable that people would be fearful or reluctant to participate in a study of this kind. We expect, however, that the non-threatening nature of the Oragene•DNA saliva collection kits will put people at ease and increase participation.
We value highly this simple, non-invasive technique because unlike many studies in which researchers opportunistically collect samples from people who are already being treated in a hospital or clinic, we are instead approaching regular people in their homes -- trying to get a representative sample of all types of people within a community. We think that the more benign and user-friendly the collection techniques, the more useful they will be for our research and for future work with minority groups and previously unsampled populations. This includes people in regions where lab or storage facilities are scarce as well as populations that have been overlooked or underrepresented in medical and health research.
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DNA Day commemorates the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of DNA's double helix by Watson and Crick in 1953. The Human Genome Project was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The primary goal of the project was to determine the sequence of chemical base pairs which make up DNA and to identify the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes of the human genome. As a result of the Human Genome Project, a Congressional resolution designated April 23 as the National DNA Day.
DNA Day is much more than a time to honor historical achievements - it's a day filled with opportunities for students, teachers and the public to learn how the exciting field of genome research touches all of our lives.
This year, for the first time, DNA Genotek is marking DNA Day celebrations with a new program with a focus on helping students in high schools, colleges and universities learn more about DNA collection and purification. The program, titled DNA Genotek's Science Education Program, will offer Oragene•DNA self collection kits at no charge to classrooms in accredited high schools, colleges and universities for teaching purposes.
Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for educators to use Oragene•DNA kits as a teaching platform in the classroom. The saliva-based collection method allows students to collect DNA and experiment with purification methods in the classroom, facilitating a greater understanding of DNA and its importance in health and disease. DNA Day celebrates the promise DNA holds in unlocking discovery that will impact global health and is the ideal time to introduce this program.
We're very excited about this program and its potential to have a positive impact on science education. Accredited high schools, colleges and universities can submit an online application form to receive these kits for teaching purposes.
If you want to learn more about DNA Day 2010, the best resource is the official DNA Day website at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). There you'll find news, resources and tools having to do with genetics.
If DNA Day inspires your children (or you) to learn more about the ins and outs of the genome, let us know. We'd love to hear how this special day had an impact on you.
For the second year in a row, DNA Genotek collected DNA samples onsite at the National Walk for Epilepsy on March 27th, 2010 in Washington, DC. Our participation in this event supports the efforts of the Columbia University Family Studies in Epilepsy Program and their study which is designed to identify genes that play a role in causing epilepsy. While at the Epilepsy Walk, I had the opportunity to interview Janine Rose, Research Associate at Columbia University about their epilepsy research and how Oragene•DNA has helped their study. You can view the recorded interview here or read the transcript below.
Shauna White, DNA Genotek: I'm here with Janine Rose with the Columbia University Family Studies in Epilepsy and we're here at the National Walk for Epilepsy in Washington DC in March of 2010. Janine, thanks for joining us today, it's great to have you here.
Janine Rose, Research Associate, Columbia University Family Studies in Epilepsy: Thanks for having us.
Shauna: Can you tell me about the research study you're working on and what you hope to achieve with it?
Janine: Yes. We are a genetic research program at Columbia University and what we're looking to discover are the genes that affect certain types of epilepsies, childhood epilepsies, specifically idiopathic generalized epilepsy and idiopathic generalized epilepsy is a type of epilepsy that doesn't have an origin, a set origin. So we are looking to recruit subjects for this particular kind of epilepsy and by DNA saliva, we look at what these genes do and further identify in hopes that further down the road, finding a cure or new therapy for these patients.
Shauna: Why did you decide to collect DNA with saliva samples?
Janine: For many reasons. Before, and that was before my time (with the study) they would collect blood as you know it is less likely to find subjects willing to go through that donation. It is very difficult to store, it needs to be refrigerated, there can be pain, there are very many reasons, it can be messy. I think that the saliva is small and portable and light and extremely practical - a super easy way to collect and people are delighted to participate and enchanted to look at how they are made and it's a great conversation piece. It breaks the ice every time so we are very happy with the product. We use it very willingly.
Shauna: This brings me to our work here this week at the National Walk for Epilepsy. When you heard about this event, you obviously saw a way to help your study. What did you think about and why did you get involved?
Janine: Well, I was involved the first time last year which I participated with Columbia University Family Studies. The year previous I came as a participant and I noticed at the event how many sponsors they had and I thought well, why not us? I thought that as direct sponsor, I would like for us to be involved because I saw a real number of people who would definitely embrace this project and people that would either be willing to participate or donate in some way and support what we are doing. And finding people is what this is all about. At the moment we use mostly physician referrals to find our subjects so I thought why not come directly here and show them what we're doing at Columbia. Even if they're not qualified to join the study, if they don't have epilepsy, they could at least be an unaffected control which is what we're hoping to collect today. If we get the funding to go on with the study, then further down the road it's our goal to include other types of seizures if we get funding to do so.
Shauna: How has DNA Genotek helped you with this project?
Janine: I have to say that we wouldn't be here today if it weren't for DNA Genotek. We are very very grateful for the help that you've provided us. First of all, getting the booth, getting the space, helping us organize the event. It's been a real sharing experience for both of us. I think it's a very good fit. People see exactly how we get the DNA and having them (DNA Genotek) personally on hand here on the spot to have them answer any questions they may have about the product or project is great. We're very very pleased.
Shauna: Tell me a little about the future of the study. When do you think you'll have some results? When will people know the outcome of this study?
Janine: It's very difficult to predict - to put a time period on such a momentus study because every time you find something new it takes you in a new direction. With our funding, it allows us to go so far. As more funding comes along, we hope to increase our study. Our investigation is about how epilepsy comes. Of course we're working to point very specifically at what can be done at the appropriate times. For the moment, we're still at the investigation stage. But we found a true confirmation of genetic information. We feel that is a very good study both for reasons of our specificity. We are very strict about our criteria - our inclusion criteria. This allows us to know exactly what we're looking at. We don't cloud it with other things.
Shauna: Thank you so much for taking the time today. Best of luck with the National Walk for Epilepsy and best of luck with the study.
Janine: Thank you, thank you for having us.
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Today, DNA Genotek announced that our Oragene•DNA self collection kit (OG-500), has been selected as a winner in the 2010 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) competition, the premier awards program for the medical technology community.
As an all-in-one system for the collection, stabilization, transportation and purification of DNA from saliva, our flagship Oragene•DNA product has been rapidly gaining acceptance as the preferred method for non-invasive DNA collection by research institutions and commercial organizations around the world. Oragene•DNA enables our customers' research and genetic analysis programs with an aim to advance health research and healthcare delivery.
Our status as a winner of the prestigious Medical Design Excellence Awards competition highlights our commitment to excellence in product design and ease of use. MDEA is the only awards program that exclusively recognizes contributions and advances in the design of medical products. A comprehensive review of the entries was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine and diagnostics.
I am proud to share this award with our product development partner, DW Product Development Inc. and with our dedicated employees. Their outstanding focus on quality for all aspects of our business is what makes awards like this possible.
Interested in trying this product? Click here for an evaluation kit.