DNA Tests

The only DNA tests I have found documentation of were performed by Forensic Analytical. All of the information I have is from their lab report in Annexure A of Unseen.

First, “[a]pprox. one-third of the material was removed for DNA extraction.” and “DNA was extracted from sample #1-2 using an organic extraction method”.

Then 3 tests were done:

1. “The QuantiBlot® method was used to estimate the quantity of human DNA obtained from the extracts.”
   1. “A very low concentration of human DNA was recovered.”
2. “Genetic marker typing using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR STR analysis was performed on the DNA extracted from sample #1-2. Typing of the genetic loci D3S1358, VWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820 and Amelogenin (gender specific) was conducted. Extraction reagent controls were amplified for each extraction series, and positive and negative PCR controls were run with each of the PCR reactions.”
   1. “[N]o results were obtained.”
3. “Yield gel evaluation of total DNA yield. The quality and quantity of DNA obtained from each sample was evaluated using agarose gel electrophoresis, by comparison to standards of known amounts of DNA and to the previous results obtained by the QuantiBlot® method.”
   1. “The results indicated that, within the limits of resolution of the methods employed: Sample #1-2 contained high molecular weight (good quality) DNA of non-human origin.

Tesoriero frequently says that the sample could not be sequenced, however this lab report makes no mention of any attempt at actual sequencing, which would have been quite expensive at this time. I suspect he is referring to the genetic marker typing.

Tesoriero takes the results presented above to mean that the test showed that the DNA was human, but it would not reveal it’s sequence. He then attributes this to the idea that Jesus’s DNA would be unusual because he had no human father. I’m going to address each of these 3 tests on a separate page, because I have quite a bit to say about each of them:

• Quantiblot Test
• Genetic Marker Typing
• Yield Gel Evaluation