Received this from another list in DE and thought it would be of interest to other lists. Shirl Hello, all. Just a reminder of the date for Brigham Young University's upcoming DNA sample collection nearest to the Delaware area, for those of you wishing to participate. BYU staff will be taking samples in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 28th. For those wanting more information, please visit the website listed in the article below. (Sorry, I don't have an article from the Philadelphia or Delaware area. The article below is from January and from our local paper here in St. Petersburg, FL). The BYU folks were here back in February, whereupon myself and another list cousin donated our DNA. Thanks, John P.S. Do not send e-mail to the Joel Myres mentioned in the article below. The website mentions that he passed away in March. If you are interested in contacting the staff, please use the "Contact Us" link on their website. ----------------------------------------------------------- Genetics study open to genealogy buffs By DONNA MURRAY ALLEN ? St. Petersburg Times, published January 13, 2001 If you have free time, spare blood and a four-generation pedigree chart, Ugo Perego wants to meet you. A Brigham Young University student, Perego has the job of helping microbiology professor Scott Woodward find 100,000 participants for a three-year study that merges genetics with genealogy. Woodward, the researcher who discovered a genetic marker that led to the discovery of the gene for cystic fibrosis, heads up BYU's Molecular Genealogy Research Group. Just as it was possible to genetically link Thomas Jefferson to Sally Hemmings' last child, DNA can be used to relate individuals to their immediate families, ancestors, tribal groups and even entire populations. The MGRG plans to use markers to reconstruct worldwide family trees. The BYU group comes to Florida in February. Project representatives will be on hand to provide an overview, answer questions and collect samples at Mormon Family History Centers in Largo, Port Charlotte and Sarasota. In Largo, the event takes place at 9 a.m. on Feb. 10. Contact Charles Grandmaison at chasgene@aol.com for details. For more calendar information, contact your local FHC or log on to <http://molecular-genealogy.byu.edu>. You must be 18 to participate. Woodward launched the study last March. He wants to compile a database of 100,000 blood samples from at least 500 worldwide populations in the next three to five years. Each sample will be correlated with a four-generation family history that includes the date and place of birth for each ancestor. The results will be computerized. "One hundred thousand samples will provide us with an understanding of the genetic make-up of the world," Prego said in a phone interview from his Brigham Young office in Provo, Utah. "We'll also know what markers from specific areas of the world look like. In the future, individuals will benefit from this database to trace their ancestors, because they will be able to compare their DNA to those in the database. Since each individual carries within them a unique record of who they are and how they are related to everyone else, it will be possible to overcome such genealogical obstacles as illegitimacy, adoption and missing records to prove his or her lineage. For American Indians and African-Americans, among others, such data would be invaluable." As the database grows, more genealogical mysteries will be solved. The MGRG is retracing the movement of genes in time and space, Perego said. This data will help confirm migration patterns. For centuries, people who shared similar DNA tended to remain in a small geographical area. Times have changed. Perego used some of my ancestors as an example. As far back as 1800, some of my kin lived in what is now known as Slovakia. Thus, the DNA of my early Slovak relatives is the same DNA strain found in 1890 in Pennsylvania where my great-grandfather settled. Now it can be found in Florida -- in me. In other words, that original Slovak DNA could be found just about anywhere these days. But the study isn't getting quite that personal yet. To protect the privacy of those participating in the study, names won't be released or kept in the database. DNA samples are assigned identification numbers when the data is collected to ensure confidentiality. Anyone interested in participating in the study to solve a personal genealogical situation must submit a special release form. E-mail Joel Myres at joel_myres@byu.edu to obtain a copy of that form. Why is BYU sponsoring this project? "Every Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) is required to compile a four-generation pedigree chart," Perego said. "Genealogy is very important in order to understand who we are and how we are related to others. We treat our kin differently than we treat anyone else." * * * ==== DEKENT Mailing List ==== If you wish to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the DEKENT list, use DEKENT-l-request@rootsweb.com. If your Ancestors Migrated to or through Delaware - register them on the Delaware Migration Page http://demigration.homestead.com/Delaware.html Delaware-Cemeteries page http://Delaware_Cemeteries.homestead.com/index.html To learn more about my world visit http://dwp.bigplanet.com/kburnett ============================== Shop Ancestry - Everything you need to Discover, Preserve & Celebrate your heritage! http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog