Celebrating a special bond on Siblings Day

Today (April 10^th) is a special day for families across the US, as brothers and sisters celebrate the bond between siblings this Siblings Day.

Created by the Siblings Day Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1995, people across the country are invited to celebrate their brother or sister in any way they choose.

This can include everything from sharing gifts and cards, to spending quality time together – much like how families celebrate Mother’s or Father’s Day.

At AlphaBiolabs, we view the special bond between siblings from an entirely different perspective: their shared DNA.

This Siblings Day, we’re taking a closer look at what you need to know about sibling DNA testing…

How do siblings share DNA?

As an accredited DNA testing laboratory, we are often asked how we can tell that people are related just by looking at their DNA.

Every person inherits half of their genetic material from each of their parents, with related people sharing more DNA than people who are not related.

In most instances, individuals will know if their brother or sister is their full or half-sibling, simply because they already know how many biological parents they share.

When both people have the same biological parents (mom and dad), they are classed as full siblings. Half-siblings are individuals who only share one biological parent – either mom or dad.

However, in some circumstances, such as where there is a question of paternity (who a child’s father is), it may be necessary to perform a sibling DNA test to determine the likelihood of two or more individuals being full siblings.

How accurate is a sibling DNA test?

When testing for sibling relationships in the DNA laboratory, expert geneticists (like those at AlphaBiolabs) will determine the genetic profile of the possible siblings and calculate a sibling DNA index or likelihood ratio.

Order a Sibling DNA Test Online

When reporting the results of a sibling DNA test:

• A likelihood of greater than 10 indicates that the siblings are related, either full or half.
• A likelihood of less than 0.1 does not support a biological relationship.
• A likelihood that falls between 0.1 and 10 is inconclusive. This means that a relationship cannot be determined based on the data analyzed.

The higher the value of the sibling DNA index, the greater the chance that the two individuals tested are full biological siblings.

However, due to the nature of sibling DNA testing, a conclusive result is not -always guaranteed.

In fact, for many laboratories, sibling testing can be up to 40 per cent inconclusive.

However, at our award-winning laboratory, we’ve almost halved this inconclusive rate to just 24 per cent.

What’s more, we offer a hassle-free money-back guarantee with all our sibling tests. If we cannot provide you with a conclusive result, we will either send you a new kit and conduct a re-test free of charge, or offer you a 100%, hassle-free refund.

Where can I buy a Sibling DNA Test?

If you’re looking for answers to your questions this Siblings Day, it’s quick and easy to order a sibling DNA test online, from AlphaBiolabs.

We use the most up-to-date laboratory processes and DNA testing technology to ensure the reliability of our genetic testing, analyzing up to 42 DNA markers (loci), for a 100 per cent accurate result, based on the samples we receive.

Your secure, password-protected results will be emailed to you in 3 business days, for full confidentiality.

Got questions? Click here to learn more about our DNA testing.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? You can also email our friendly and discreet Customer Services team at info@alphabiolabsusa.com or use our Live Chat to speak to a support specialist now.