2 minute read
Since You Asked
Heather Lange
director of office operations, registrations & DNA
Sending DNA Samples Directly to Neogen
2023 is bringing big changes for the ASA, there is no doubt about that! Hopefully the newest change I am about to go over will bring excitement, as it is one that has been requested for years, and now it’s finally going to be a reality.
Starting in January 2023, breeders can send DNA samples for testing directly to the lab, rather than the office.
Three pieces of information will become mandatory in order for this to work, and those are: 1) A registration (or recorded ‘U’) number for each animal, 2) A barcode for each sample, and 3) The DNA submission form must be present with the samples.
Without going into too much detail, International IDs are the basis for many comparisons, and the bulk of an International ID contains an animal’s registration number. That said, we are predicting that this change will shave days, if not weeks, off your results turnaround time.
The process for getting the DNA submission form completed will not change very much. You will still queue up your animals for testing in your Digital Beef account. From here, once you have all your animals selected that you want tested, as well as which tests you want, you will submit that data to the office, and once we process that data, you will be sent an email with your ready-to-send form, which you will print and stick in with the samples and send it all together to Neogen!
You can still purchase blood and hair cards from the Association’s website. There will be a grace period through March so we can get the hang of this new process. Until then, you can still send samples to the office if you feel the need. Just know that come April, additional fees are going to be incurred for samples sent to the office, as well as if samples are sent to the lab without appropriate paperwork, etc.
We have all new literature on shorthorn. org which covers sample collecting and handling. DNA testing is on an uprise, and we are striving to be as efficient and cohesive with the lab as possible. Be on the lookout for new how-to’s as well as a video walk through which will cover all =of this.
