FAQs
If you have a question that is not answered below, feel free to give us a call at (970) 472-9951 or email us at genecheck@genecheck.com.
Our normal turn around time for all sample methods is 3-5 working days after the day we receive your samples. During the busy season, results may take a few days longer as our sample load increases. If you need your results sooner, we offer rush testing for an additional $10 per test per sample. Rush testing is not available for blood cards.
It is only important to mail your blood tubes overnight in the real heat of the summer. During other times, 2-3 day shipping is fine. In hotter months, be sure to include an icepack.
We have found that UPS and FedEx are the most reliable for getting your samples delivered when they say they will deliver them. If you only have United States Postal Service in you area we recommend sending them Overnight or Priority Mail with a signature required.
To alleviate confusion, we do not offer discounted pricing on larger batches. The cost for us to process the sample & run the test does not decrease with larger batches and therefore, the cost per sample is the same. We do try very hard to keep our pricing very competitive and fair.
There is currently not a discount for running multiple tests on a sample for sheep, cattle, pig, and goat testing. For pigeon testing, if you run 3 or more tests on one sample, the price for each test decreases to $11 per test instead of $13.
We will store the extracted DNA from each sample for 5 years. You can call or email us and request additional testing on DNA that we have stored.
The tissue punch systems that we supply can be stored for up to 3 years at room temperature and therefore do not require speedy shipping methods. However, you do need to use a bubble/padded mailer or box. Do not use paper type envelopes as the collectors will pop through the paper.
It has been suggested from the manufacturer of the tissue collectors that they will last at least 10 years if kept dry and not exposed to extreme temperatures.
Once the tissue punch has been collected and is secured in the tissue collector they can be stored for up to 3 years if kept at room temperature. You can send them in at your convenience, depending, of course on how soon you need your results.
There is no need to refrigerate your Datamars or Hauptner Typifix tissue samples. There are drying dessicant pebbles in the collection cup that will dry and preserve the tissue sample for up to 3 years.
You can mail your samples to:
Gene Check
1175 58th Ave. Suite 100
Greeley, CO 80634
2-3 cc’s of blood in a purple top EDTA tube is sufficient for any number of tests. If you are doing both DNA and ELISA testing, we will need both purple top tubes and red top tubes for the samples.
Yes we can run multiple DNA tests for one sample. Separate samples will be needed if requesting both DNA testing and ELISA testing on an animal. Elisa testing requires red top tubes that allow the blood to clot. Ear tags, blood cards or purple top EDTA tubes are used for DNA testing.
We also store extracted DNA samples for 5 years. Therefore, additional testing can be done from that stored DNA. Just give us a call or email us with the information on the sample/ samples for which you would like to run additional tests.
Because testing is not free, the goal is to minimize the amount of testing you need to do. At Gene Check, we continue to discourage routine testing at codon 136. First of all, the incidence of strain A scrapie in the US is low. Secondly, if you are breeding toward RR at codon 171, you are automatically breeding toward AA at codon 136. If you are selling RR animals, you do not need to test them at codon 136. If you are selling QR animals, as most of us still are, you may want to consider testing those at Codon 136.
Yes, we can test for Codon 146 that shows if your goats are resistant to Scrapie.
The type of test you are requesting will determine the type of blood tube you will need to use. If you are sending your samples in to be tested for DNA testing (ex: Codon 171, 136 or Spider), you will need to use a purple top tube. This tube contains EDTA which will keep the blood from clotting. If you are testing for OPP or Johne’s please use red top tubes. Red top tubes allow the blood to clot, separating the serum from the red blood cells. We use the serum to test for OPP or Johne’s.
Yes, for the samples to be properly captured in the tag, Agrobiogen’s pliers need to be used.
We store extracted DNA samples for 5 years. Therefore, additional testing can be done from that stored DNA. Just give us a call or email us with the information on the sample/ samples for which you would like to run additional tests.