The Genetic Link

Welcome to The Genetic Link, a blog providing new insights into DNA and RNA sample collection by DNA Genotek. DNA Genotek is a subsidiary of OraSure Technologies, Inc.

Why collect blood when saliva does the job? 4 examples of why saliva is a better source of DNA for genetic analysis

Blood collection for genomic DNA presents several disadvantages: it is invasive and inconvenient for...
Katherine Lawless Aug 12, 2021

The Mito-FIND project: Unlocking the secrets to mitochondrial disease with DNA from saliva

“Mitochondria are essential for life. Mitochondrial diseases interfere with the body’s ability to ma...
Katherine Lawless Aug 16, 2019

Saliva as a sample type for genomic applications

This week, I interviewed Scott Rabuka, Director of the Genomics Program at DNA Genotek for our podca...
Shauna White Jun 07, 2019

Genome-wide DNA methylation comparison: Brain tissue vs. blood, saliva and buccal cells

DNA methylation (DNAm) has become increasingly widespread in the study of psychiatric disorders.[1] ...
Katherine Lawless Apr 03, 2019

Is whole genome sequencing the new first-line test for children with genetic diseases?

Congenital anomalies and genetic disorders are the leading cause of death in children less than ten ...
Katherine Lawless Feb 19, 2019

8 facts most people don’t know about DNA from saliva

Since the launch of this blog, The Genetic Link, in 2009, we have published numerous articles, inter...
Kerry Chatburn Feb 01, 2019

How to execute large-scale DNA sample collection for genetic research - 10 essential considerations

Genetic epidemiology, the study of how genetics contribute to health and disease in families and pop...
Kerry Chatburn Oct 09, 2018

High quality libraries for human WGS with direct saliva Input

In the open discussion webinar hosted by Frontline Genomics, Joshua Burgess Ph.D., Manager Scientifi...
Erin Carpenter Jul 19, 2018

Discovering the genetics behind Ebola viral disease resistance

Phase I: DNA sample Collection The Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic f...
Kerry Chatburn Oct 17, 2017

The SPARK project – Fueling the fire on autism research

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 2012 that 1 in 68 children in the ...
Kerry Chatburn May 04, 2017

Oragene enables a large-scale array-CGH and exome sequencing study

In the summer of 2011 we wrote about an exciting project out of the United Kingdom that selected Ora...
Shauna White Feb 25, 2015

A quick guide to application compatibility for Oragene – PCR to NGS

In a recent article on The Genetic Link, we talked about going global and how our regulatory strateg...
Shauna White Sep 03, 2014

Using NGS and DNA from saliva to find needles in haystacks

We always enjoy hearing about how our customers are using our products for innovative projects. Rece...
Shauna White Jan 14, 2014

Methodologies for the analysis of human exomes using DNA from saliva

Mike Tayeb is the Technical Support Manager at DNA Genotek Inc.
Mike Tayeb Jul 11, 2013

The impact of bacterial DNA in saliva on whole genome sequencing

Mike Tayeb is the manager of technical support at DNA Genotek.
Mike Tayeb Jun 07, 2013

Reliability & stability of Oragene samples for WGS & exome sequencing

Rafal Iwasiow is Vice President of Research and Development at DNA Genotek.
Rafal Iwasiow Jan 24, 2013

How to choose the right platform for high-throughput DNA extraction

We recently published an article highlighting how to choose the best method for low-throughput DNA e...
Krystin Colley Sep 26, 2012

[INFOGRAPHIC] DNA from saliva vs blood – who wins the cost battle?

Introducing DNA Genotek’s first visual adventure – a fun trip through the blood vs saliva cost journ...
Shauna White Sep 12, 2012

How to choose the best method for low-throughput DNA extraction

DNA is extracted from human saliva for a variety of reasons including molecular or forensic analysis...
Krystin Colley Aug 07, 2012

Can saliva replace blood for DNA collection and analysis? (Part 3 of 3)

Welcome to the final article in our 3 part series discussing whether or not saliva can replace blood...
Kerry Chatburn Jul 25, 2012

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