Stage 1

A DNA profiling test is a complicated process involving many stages. Luckily, the least complicated step involves you.

Using a soft bristled buccal brush (a bit like a mascara wand), you provide a few cheek cells by gently rubbing the brush against the inside of the mouth.

It is quite painless! You can easily take this sample yourself.

 
Stage 2
Your DNA is then extracted from the cheek cells by breaking them open,
which releases the DNA.

Your DNA is isolated for analysis by using a sophisticated system that involves magnetic beads.
 

Stage 3

Your unique DNA preparation is then put into an “amplification” reaction, a process known as PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), which is a bit like a photocopier for the tiny DNA molecules.

This process detects and amplifies certain parts of your own DNA which are specific to you. These are called STR (short tandem repeat) markers.
 
Stage 4
An STR marker is any sequence of DNA that is repeated several times. Each of us may vary in the number of times this sequence is repeated and therefore different lengths are possible.

It is these areas of DNA which are used to produce your very own, unique DNA profile. We look at a number of these of these STR regions, one of which is the gender marker (male or female) and is called amelogenin.
 

Stage 5

Your amplified STR regions are analysed on a special kind of jelly through which we pass an electrical current.

This enables us to separate the fragments of DNA according to their size. We tag the fragments of your DNA with special fluorescent markers in three colours, blue, yellow and green, which we can detect with a high powered laser.

 
Stage 6
The result of the experiment is a series of bands, which we analyse using a sophisticated computer programme to produce your DNA profile as a series of coordinates.
 

Stage 7

Using your personal DNA coordinates we scale your STR markers to the item you have requested. Skilled jewellers and artists then carefully construct the piece of jewellery, the ties or the glassware on your behalf.

Exclusive to you and inimitably you.