SecuriGene, a Canadian company, has created a groundbreaking DNA preservation kit that allows you to keep a DNA sample at room temperature indefinitely, without cryogenic storage fees. They displayed their service in a booth at the ICCFA convention and expo.
Now, why would such a company attend a convention for funeral directors? Because morticians are often the last people in contact with a body, and they have the last chance to collect and bank DNA before cremation destroys all traces.
DNA contains valuable information about a person’s ancestry, health, and other traits. To preserve this information for future generations, DNA banking enables families to save genetic information that would otherwise be lost forever.
The DNA is collected from a sample of saliva. SecuriGene processes the sample and returns extracted, purified, preserved DNA that’s triple-sealed inside a stylish stainless-steel tube.
Top 5 Reasons to Bank DNA
- Store DNA for future testing – as time progresses, new genetic tests will become available.
- Create a unique and eternal keepsake – DNA contains a vast amount of information about ancestry, including inherited diseases.
- Disease prevention – approximately 75% of all diseases can be traced to genetic makeup. Knowing predispositions can help with early detection.
- Identification – DNA can be used to identify an individual and to confirm biological relationships – essential for estate disputes or missing person cases.
- Personalized medicine – medical treatment is evolving to apply DNA types to specific drugs and treatment plans, and many more developments are coming.
Anna Szarzynski was representing SecuriGene at the 2013 ICCFA convention and expo. She explains more about their DNA banking procedure in this YouTube video:
For more information, visit www.SecuriGene.com.