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Four leading laboratories that specialise in DNA testing, toxicology, gene copy number analysis, and more.

Revolutionising Scientific Analysis

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Drug and Alcohol Testing for Family Law

Published 14/01/2025

Mathew Wade is a forensic toxicologist and lab manager at AttoLife. When it comes to drug and alcohol lab testing, Mat is a pro at examining the evidence and writing reports that can be used in the justice system.

Cocaine: Are Your Children Exposed?

Published 14/01/2025

Drugs can be present in the environment and may transfer to the hair through incidental contact. A common example is handling banknotes, which often carry trace amounts of cocaine. This can result in contamination that appears in hair samples. However, correct lab testing procedures can tell the difference between accidental exposure and active use.

No Excuses: Why Hydroxycocaine Rules Out Passive Cocaine Exposure

Published 07/01/2025

When a hair drug test shows a positive result for cocaine, the immediate question is often: "Was this drug actively consumed, or could environmental contamination explain it?" or “Could the drug result be due to false positive drug test results due to external exposure?” Shared spaces, personal contact, or even handling contaminated items can result in trace amounts of cocaine appearing in hair strand drug tests or even under a person’s fingernails.

Non-invasive Prenatal Paternity Tests: How Does It Work?

Published 07/01/2025

At AssureDNA, we often hear a surprising question when it comes to prenatal paternity testing: “How do you swab an unborn child?” “Is prenatal testing dangerous for my baby?” or “What are the risks of a prenatal test?” It’s an understandable query – after all, cheek swabs are a hallmark of DNA testing, and you can’t get a swab in the womb.

NHS vs. Private: How to Get a Pharmacogenomic Test

Published 06/01/2025

Pharmacogenetic testing is revolutionising the way we approach medication by tailoring treatments to an individual’s genetic makeup. This can improve drug efficacy and reduce the risk of adverse side effects. But how can patients in the UK access pharmacogenetic testing? Here’s a breakdown of the pathways available through the NHS and private healthcare.

How (Not) to Trick Your SCRAM Bracelet

Published 24/12/2024

At AttoLife, a leader in alcohol monitoring solutions, we often hear some creative theories about ways people think they can fool their SCRAM bracelet (Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring). From everyday foods to household items, there’s no shortage of myths about how to beat alcohol detection systems. Spoiler alert: none of these tricks work. Let’s dive into the myths and see why these ideas don’t hold up.

The Importance of Laboratory Confirmation Drug Testing

Published 23/12/2024

Drug testing is an essential tool in various industries, from healthcare to the workplace, ensuring safety and compliance. However, it’s important to understand that no single point of care drug test is foolproof. False positives, misinterpretations, and even technical errors can lead to misleading results when conducting rapid screening tests.

Enhanced Kinship Testing at Attolife - 646 Additional DNA Markers

Published 23/12/2024

AttoLife is proud to announce a groundbreaking advancement in our DNA testing capabilities: the introduction of 646 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers from the Rita microarray panel into our kinship testing services. This enhancement will complement our existing court-admissible, accredited Short Tandem Repeat (STR) markers, providing more accurate and conclusive results.

What Is the CDT Blood Test for Alcohol?

Published 20/12/2024

Historically, methods like the Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin (CDT) test, Liver Function Tests (LFTs), and Mean Corpuscular/Cell Volume (MCV) analysis have been employed as blood tests for alcohol abuse. However, at AttoLife, we’ve seen a positive shift away from CDT, LFTs, and MCV towards Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) testing.