Category Archives: DNA

After spending 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Chris Tapp walked out of prison a free man in March.

The main contributing factor to his freedom, a machine called the M-Vac, a DNA collection machine that some are calling the latest and greatest technology in DNA especially for cold cases.

"We are working with stuff that should have been done if we would have had this technology a long time ago," said Francine Bardole, a senior crime scene investigator with the West Jordan Police Department.

The machine was invented in Jerome, Idaho, but ironically there are no systems in the state.

"Obviously we want to try to change that. I would love to see more systems up here, especially because I know it would help solve some of the crimes that I know can't be solved," said President and CEO of M-Vac Systems.

During a presentation, Thursday at BPD multiple crime agencies were in attendance just to learn more about the M-Vac, what it is, and how it works.

Bradley says knowledge is key in getting the system implemented.

"Agencies can't order the equipment or bring the equipment in and get it validated and everything else if they don't know about it," said Bradley.

While they said the M-Vac isn't a replacement for traditional swabbing of DNA and it doesn't work for every case, generally when it does help is where there are no other options available.

"These are things that law enforcement agencies need to know are available to them when they have reached a dead end," said Bardole. "You've got somebody roaming around victimizing the community, what is your next step? I say the M-Vac is your next step."

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DNA collection machine invented in Idaho looking for permanent home in Idaho - 6 On Your Side

Chicago, IL (UroToday.com) In this single-institution study, the authors aim to establish the feasibility of using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which represents DNA fragments released into circulation. While NGS has become an integral component of tissue analysis in the search for biomarkers, predictors and potential genetic causes of cancer, NGS on cfDNA is less well established. By analyzing cfDNA, the authors feel they can overcome the spatial and temporal limitations of tissue analysis.

To that effect, they proceeded to complete NGS on cfDNA of patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), and compared it to the genomic profile of tissue obtained in the clinical setting. As described in a prior abstract from the same group1, the MSKCC group utilized an established pipeline tool called MSISensor to evaluate NGS data from prospectively collected tissue, as part of the MSK IMPACT study, in which they target 341-468 genes. Both cfDNA and previously collected tissue were analyzed for somatic mutations, and the outputs were then compared.

In this proof of concept study, 26 pts were included. NGS analysis of cfDNA detected 1 somatic mutations (range 1-21) in 69% (18/26). For 15 pts, NGS data was available from archival tissue (11 primary tumors, 3 metastases, and matched primary/metastatic tissue in 1 case). The interval between cfDNA and tissue collection ranged from 35 days to > 4 yrs. Eleven patients (73%) received intervening treatment, including 47% (7/15) with chemotherapy, 67% (10/15) with immunotherapy, and 40% (6/15) with both. In 40% (6/15), cfDNA harbored alterations not found in archival tumor tissue.

Comparison of cfDNA and archival tissue In 73% (11/15), some mutations within archival tissue were not detected in cfDNA, including hotspot HER2 S310F and FGFR3 S249C mutations. Tumor and cfDNA mutation profiles were identical in 20% (3/15), with the tumor/cfDNA interval in this group ranging from 35 days to < 1.5 yrs. Somatic alterations including hotspot ERCC2 P463A and PIK3CA E545K mutations were detected in cfDNA from 3 pts where archival tumor tissue NGS failed. Thus, cfDNA identified new mutations in 50% (9/18) of pts for whom cfDNA identified somatic mutations and tissue NGS was previously attempted.

Limitations: 1. The time between collection of tissue and cfDNA ranged to > 4 years. It is possible that some discordance may be due to intervening treatments and mutations within the tumor itself. Identical mutation profiles were found in patients with shorter interval times.

Despite its limitation, this proof-of-concept study is important to establish a new potential source of tumor genomics. This may lead to new biomarkers and therapies for mUC. Further studies, preferably prospective with interval cfDNA collections, may help address some of the issues with the current study.

Presented By: Michael L. Cheng

Co-Authors: Catharine Kline Cipolla, Samuel Funt, Maria E. Arcila, Hikmat Al-Ahmadie, Jonathan E. Rosenberg, Dean F. Bajorin, Michael F. Berger, Dana Tsui, David B. Solit, Gopa Iyer

Institution(s): Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

Written By: Thenappan Chandrasekar, MD, Clinical Fellow, University of Toronto, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Twitter: @tchandra_uromd

at the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting - June 2 - 6, 2017 Chicago, Illinois, USA

Reference: Abstract 4511. Iyer G. Mismatch repair (MMR) detection in urothelial carcinoma (UC) and correlation with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response.

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ASCO 2017: Comparison of somatic mutation profiles from cell free DNA versus tissue in metastatic urothelial carcinoma - UroToday

NSW Department of Primary Industries scientists, David Gopurenko and Hanwen Wu at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute.

DNA barcode identification of serrated tussock and Chilean needle grass has prompted a project to develop a field-based identification tool for the major invasive weeds.

NSW Department of Primary Industries scientist, David Gopurenko, said identification of the DNA barcodes by a team of NSW DPI researchers will make it easier to distinguish the weeds from the native grasses they grow alongside in eastern Australia.

For the first time we have the potential to develop a timely and easy way to distinguish between invasive and native grasses at early growth stages.

DNA barcoding gives us the opportunity to shortcut the traditional identification process, which usually requires examination of the plants flowers, which can only take place once the plant has reached maturity, Dr Gopurenko said.

Now we have the ability to better manage new incursions by identifying weeds before they mature, flower and become established.

A new project to develop a field-based tool to identify Chilean needle grass and serrated tussock using the DNA barcodes has this year been funded through the Australian Governments Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper.

Correct identification of invasive and native grasses is crucial in weed management misidentification can delay control of invasive weeds and could also lead to the unwanted eradication of desirable native grass.

DNA barcoding can accurately identify species from small samples, including trace amounts of degraded tissue which has not been stored properly.

Serrated tussock and Chilean needle grass are native to South America, but cause significant damage to the Australian environment and agricultural industries.

Serrated tussock costs more than $40 million in lost production each year, covering more than 1.1 million hectares, with more than 30 million hectares of south-eastern Australia classed as climatically suitable for the weeds invasion. Annual costs of Chilean needle grass exceed $120 per hectare.

The three-year study to identify the DNA barcodes of invasive weeds was funded by the NSW Weeds Action Program led by NSW DPI scientists, Aisuo Wang, David Gopurenko and Hanwen Wu, all based at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute.

Source: NSW DPI.

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NSW scientists to work on field tool for invasive weeds after DNA success - Sheep Central

With a lifted gaze, Craig ONeal scanned the sluggish Florida sky. Raindrops fell intermittently, hardly prompting drivers to flick on windshield wipers as they rolled past the corner Starbucks. But the pitter-patter was noticeable enough, so he grabbed his coffee and shifted beneath an awning.

The overcast day rife with the kind of midweek weariness best cured with espresso tinged ONeals eyes slate gray. They were eyes that, on a bright day, were blue and shaded with green. They were small and intense, peering through black-rimmed glasses. They were the kind of eyes that could simultaneously lock in conversation and absorb minute, fleeting details.

They werent the eyes he shared with his adopted parents or his three sisters. Until recently, the 62-year-old Ponte Vedra Beach resident and freelance photographer hadnt imagined sharing similar features with anyone.

I knew I was adopted from a very early age, ONeal said. I never really had an overwhelming urge to track down my biological parents.

But late last year, ONeal was sitting with his wife in front of the television and a commercial touting Ancestrys DNA testing tweaked his curiosity.

I just made a quick passing statement to my wife, like Hey, it would be interesting to see what percentage of Irish or European I am, he said. It was a conversation of a few seconds, but she grabbed onto it and got me the kit for Christmas.

The test was simple enough. He swabbed his mouth, shipped the sample to Ancestrys lab and waited eight weeks for the results. When they came in, he eagerly logged into his profile to view his genetic makeup.

Just as hed guessed, 30-some percent of his DNA was Irish.

But what he didnt expect were links to immediate relatives. Two, in fact.

Ancestry will show who youre related to as long as they have also submitted their DNA, ONeal said. My top two hits were a woman named Gloria Smith and a man named Stephen Franks. It said we were first cousins.

ONeal spent the next several hours researching contact methods, knowing the interaction could unearth conflict.

When I started researching the best practices about how to contact someone in this situation, there were more stories of rejection than acceptance, he said. I thought, hey, they could tell me to go away for a whole host of stuff.

Two days after ONeal initiated contact through the Ancestry platform, Gloria Smith responded.

She said, Theres no way you can be my first cousin.

QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND ACCEPTANCE

The words on Gloria Smiths computer screen didnt make sense. Her gray-blue eyes read the message once, and then again, and then again. It was late on a Saturday evening in Booneville, Mississippi, and Sunday school lingered hours away. She picked up the phone and dialed Ancestry.

She explained the situation to a staff member, who agreed to review the DNA. There just wasnt any way, Smith insisted, Craig ONeal could be a cousin.

I know all of my first cousins, she said. I know all of my second and third cousins.

Smith knows around 1,500 of her relatives, to be precise. A librarian by interest and education, shes the keeper of her familys genealogy. Her brother, Steve, joined Ancestry only to further her bloodline research.

By midnight, scientists presented Smith with a trio of options: ONeal could be her grandfather, her uncle, or her half-sibling.

I can do the math, she said, laughing. Theres no way he could be my grandfather or uncle.

Smith skipped church Sunday morning to make a final call to Ancestry. The staff agreed only one option seemed likely ONeal was a half-sibling from her paternal side. She broke the news to Steve, who lives just outside of Dallas.

I told him, Hes daddys child and I want to know him, she said.

She messaged ONeal on Facebook that afternoon, explaining her research.

I still remember seeing those little dots come up as he typed, Are you trying to tell me Im a half-sibling? she said. It gives me chills. Its the strangest feeling to be this old and have three siblings and then find out, at this age, you have another brother.

ITS JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED

Make mental notes, pay attention to details, ONeal reminded himself. The 10-hour drive to Mississippi, where he would meet his four siblings for the first time, was enough time to compile a list of questions hed always wanted to ask.

The group agreed to meet at a restaurant just outside of Booneville.

As the siblings locked eyes with their half-brother, the doubt and anticipation peeled away.

Craig looked more like daddy than any of us, Smith said. The shape of his face, his nose, his eyes, the way he moves.

Franks agreed.

The first thing I noticed were his blue eyes, he said.

They were the eyes of Jesse Franks, their father.

Finally, ONeal was face-to-face with a concept foreign blood relatives.

When I met them, it was incredible to see people who looked like me, who had mannerisms like me, ONeal said.

As the weekend unfolded, the siblings combed their childhood stomping grounds, cramming ONeal with family information and history. He visited the grave of his father and other relatives. He stood beneath a sign reading Frankstown, the small community established by his great-grandparents. He ate catfish at a Booneville buffet.

It was just like going home all over again, but with a new brother, Smith said.

The siblings speculate their father, working for the Tennessee Valley Authority, met ONeals mother while traveling for work. Whether he knew of ONeal remains a mystery. Jesse Franks, loving father and husband of 50 years, died in 1987, taking his secrets with him.

Obviously, this doesnt reflect well on our father, Steve Franks said. There was some concern about what people in this little town would think. But weve just come to the conclusion it is what it is, people can make what they want out of it. Craig is our brother, and were not ashamed of that.

At any rate, the past is long gone, ONeal said.

I dont think this alters the way they think about their parents, he said. Who knows what happens in a persons life? Its not up to me to pass judgment. Its just something that happened.

The siblings gifted ONeal with a handmade book on their father, pages brimming with neat handwriting, detailed memories and gray photos reflecting father and half-son similarities.

Now I can see into my father. I can see into his soul. I can see into his head, he said. I can see what he actually said, not just what someone has told me.

LIVING WITH THE UNEXPECTED

Life was good before, despite not knowing.

I had great parents and great-grandparents, ONeal said. I would never not want to have lived that.

Life is even better knowing the mannerisms, the way he smiles, the color of his eyes; it all has a name now Franks.

Hes waiting on his adoption records from Tennessee, which will reveal his mothers name as well as more information on his father. He shrugs away trepidation, saying fear and worry are emotions hes learned to control.

My mother could still be alive. I could have a whole other family in Tennessee, he said.

Whatever happens, he wants to nurture the bond between himself and his current half-siblings.

I want this to be a really good relationship. I want to build a family relationship, and I know its difficult because were hundreds of miles away from each other, he said. But theres an opportunity.

Things will never be the same, but thats a good thing.

This is a life-changing experience, he said. I can never go back.

Read this St. Augustine Record story.

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DNA test uncovers a treasure trove of information for a Ponte Vedra ... - Florida Times-Union

Preserved collagen from T-rex bones caused a stir in 2008, but new research has found the proteins were probably the result of modern contamination (Credit: herraez/Depositphotos)

In 2008, researchers analyzed samples of protein found preserved for 68 million years inside a T-rex leg bone, and came to the conclusion that the dinosaurs were closely related to modern chickens and ostriches. Now, palaeontologists from the University of Manchester have taken another look at the tissue, and found that it's an even closer match to ostriches than previously thought because it is ostrich, thanks to some modern contamination.

While there's plenty to learn about extinct species from fossilized bone, on rarer occasions soft tissues like brains and feathers are preserved, giving palaeontologists a whole new level of insight. The discovery of intact collagen peptides understandably caused a stir at 68 million years old, these samples were far older than the 3.5 million years that is generally thought to be the limit for collagen. The find allowed scientists to slot the T-rex into the overall family tree, somewhere between alligators and ostriches.

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But the announcement wasn't without controversy at the time, with some critics arguing that contamination in the lab, either from bacteria or modern bones, could have returned false positives. And after studying the samples a little more closely, the Manchester team believes that's exactly what happened, dashing any hopes of fact following fiction.

The researchers analyzed bone samples from three different ostrich specimens, and found that the peptides strongly matched those in the T-rex fossil, as well as other collagen samples that the team found later in Brachylophosaurus bones. It makes sense, the team says, given that the original tests were run in a lab that also worked with ostrich bones.

"Our work set out to identify the collagen fingerprints for both ostrich and alligator and was not intending to debunk the previous studies," says Dr. Mike Buckley, lead researcher on the study. "However, we soon realized that our results were pulling the rug from beneath the paradigm that collagen might survive the ravages of deep time."

While it might be a disappointing discovery for scientists (or Jurassic Park fans), the study goes to show that these kinds of important finds need to be properly verified before any sweeping claims are made. Since the instruments used are highly sensitive, the dinosaur bones need to be properly isolated from any modern contaminants.

"The fossil record is offering new information on a daily basis through the application of new technology, but we must never forget that when results show us something that we really want to see, that we make sure of our interpretation," says Phil Manning, co-author of the study. "The alleged discovery of protein sequences in dinosaur bones has led many unsuccessful attempts to repeat these remarkable claims. It seems we were trying to reproduce something that was beyond the current detection limits of our science."

While we shouldn't hold our breath for a real-world Jurassic Park, there is still hope in the fantasy of reviving extinct species. Dinosaurs are way too old to contain viable DNA samples, but teams are considering how to bring back more recently-extinct creatures like the woolly mammoth, the dodo or the thylacine but then again, to paraphrase the movie, just because we could, doesn't mean we should.

Source: University of Manchester

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New tests reveal controversial dinosaur DNA isn't so ancient after all - New Atlas

Britain's Got Talent judges and viewers were once again wowed by DNA and their impressive but equally terrifying mind-reading and influencing abilities.

The duo's finals performance was very mathematical and really made our brains hurt, but there was a little stumble which kind of took away some of the magic of the whole performance.

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Still, the judges were very impressed with their performance.

Alesha said: "Stumble or not, you're one of the most original acts we've had on this series, your presentation is superb.

"You engage the whole audience, we can't take our eyes off of you and I think you're amazing."

Amanda spoke for the rest of us by saying DNA were "eerie and spooky" and agreed with Alesha about their stage presence.

ITV

"This is one of the first times I've seen something go wrong, but that makes you human," Simon told the duo."What you do is incredible."

There were some people not all that impressed after the duo made a little blip when trying to guess a page number, but hey, we all make little mistakes.

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However, the clever clogs over on Twitter have been doing the calculations themselves and reckon they don't add up (but to be fair, their act is mind-reading, not maths...)

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DNA leave Britain's Got Talent judges in awe, but viewers aren't as convinced as they stumble over numbers - DigitalSpy.com

Ancient Egyptians were an archaeologist's dream. Theyleft behind intricate coffins, massive pyramids and gorgeous hieroglyphs, the pictorial writing code cracked in 1799. Egyptians recorded tales of royalty and gods. They jotted downlife's miscellanies, too, as humdrum as beer recipes anddoctor's notes.

But there was one persistent hole in ancient Egyptian identity: their chromosomes. Cool, dry permafrost can preserve prehistoric DNA like anatural freezer, but Egypt is a gene incinerator. The regionis hot. Within the mummies' tombs, where scientists would hope to findgenetic samples, humidity wrecked their DNA. What's more, soda ash and other chemicals used by Egyptian embalmers damaged geneticmaterial.

A study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and the University of Tubingen in Germany managed to plug some of those genetic gaps. Researchers wrunggenetic material from 151 Egyptian mummies, radiocarbon dated between Egypt'sNew Kingdom (the oldest at 1388 B.C.) to the Roman Period (the youngest at 426 A.D.), as reported Tuesday in the journalNature Communications.

Johannes Krause, a University of Tubingen paleogeneticist and an author of the study, said the major findingwas that for 1,300 years, we see complete geneticcontinuity. Despite repeated conquests of Egypt, by Alexander the Great, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Assyrians the list goes onancient Egyptians showed little genetic change.The other big surprise, Krause said, was we didn't find much sub-Saharan African ancestry.

The remains came from Abusir el-Meleq, an ancient Nile community in the middle of Egypt. From the mummies the scientists extracted bone, teeth and soft tissue samples. (Although Egyptian embalmers removed thebrains of the deceased, the scientists wrote that in most cases, non-macerated mummy heads still have much of their soft tissue preserved.)

The hard samples yielded the most DNA, perhaps because the teeth and bones were protected by soft tissue or because the embalming processes left tougher material intact.After preparing the samples in a sterilized room in Germany, the researchers bathed the samples in UV radiation for an hour to minimize contamination.

Ancient Egyptianswere closely related to people who lived along the eastern Mediterranean, the analysis showed. They also shared genetic material with residents of the Turkish peninsula at the time and Europe.

Given Egypt's location at the intersection of Africa, Europe and Asia, and the influx of foreign rulers, Krause said he was surprised at how stable the genetics seemed to be over this period. The scientists were particularly interested in the change in ruling class at the turn of the first millennium. First came the Hellenistic dynasty, in the aftermath of Alexander the Greats conquests, from 332 B.C. to 30 B.C., and thenRoman rule from 30 B.C. to about 400 A.D. And yet the genetics of the Abusir el-Meleq community appeared to be unperturbed by shifting politics.

The scientists compared these ancient genetics with those of 100 modern Egyptians and 125 modern Ethiopians that had been previously analyzed. If you ask Egyptians, they'll say that they have become more European recently, Krause said. We see exactly the opposite, he said.

It was not until relatively recently inEgypt's long history that sub-Saharan geneticinfluences became more pronounced.In the last 1,500 years, Egypt became more African, if you want, Krause said.

In their paper, the researchers acknowledged that all our genetic data were obtained from a single site in Middle Egypt and may not be representative for all of ancient Egypt. In the south of Egypt, the authors wrote, sub-Saharan influences may have been stronger.

This study left two gaps in the Egyptian timeline that Krause wants to fill, he said. It is not clear when theAfrican gene flow, present in modern Egyptians, occurred. Nor could the study determine theorigin of the Egyptians.The other big question is, 'Where did the ancient Egyptians come from?' Krause said. To answer that, scientists will have to find genomes back further in time, in prehistory.

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This tiny fetus is the youngest ancient Egyptian mummy ever found

Happy anniversary, tzi: 25 years later, were still obsessed with the Iceman

New study on tzi the Iceman reveals humanitys intimate affair with one microbe

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Egyptian mummy DNA shows Mediterranean, Turkish and European ...

A Chesterfield County teen who was identified through the states DNA databank as a suspect in the 2015 rape and beating of a 47-year-old Chesterfield woman was convicted Friday of maliciously wounding her in a random attack.

In a deal struck by the prosecution and defense after the teens first trial on rape and sodomy charges ended with a hung jury, Quaseer L. Carter, 18, pleaded no contest to the felony count in the Oct. 7, 2015, attack. The woman was raped, sodomized and struck twice in the face after she was dragged off the street into a grassy area between two homes, according to evidence at Carters first trial in late March.

The plea agreement was reached after both sides recognized they faced substantial credibility issues with their respective cases. The victim, who attended Fridays proceeding in Chesterfield Circuit Court, was on board with the decision, Chesterfield prosecutor Stephen Sharpe told the court.

On the day of the attack, the victim was helping her former husband pack up some items for an upcoming trip at his home in the 2900 block of Goolsby Court, Sharpe said in a summary of evidence. At one point, she left and walked down Goolsby Avenue to a friends house less than a quarter-mile away to socialize.

She drank some beer with her friend before eventually leaving to walk back to her former husbands home at about 9 p.m. She was only a few houses away when a black male stopped her and asked for a cigarette, Sharpe said in his summary.

As the victim looked for a cigarette, the suspect struck her in the face in a blow that knocked her to the ground. The man then sexually assaulted the woman before raising her to her knees, when he struck her again in the face. She again was knocked to the ground.

The victim testified at Carters first trial that something must have startled the suspect, because he jumped up quickly and ran off.

The victim managed to stumble back to her former husbands house, where police were immediately called. The woman suffered several scratches and cuts, a bloodied face and other injuries to her body, Sharpe said.

The suspect was wearing dark pants and a dark-hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled down tightly over his face. It was dark outside, and the victim was unable to make out his facial features, according to evidence.

After the victim reported the attack to police, she was taken to a local hospital, where a physical evidence recovery kit was used to collect semen and other biological evidence.

The recovered evidence was sent to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science, where a sample was entered into the departments computerized DNA databank that contains the DNA profiles of hundreds of thousands of convicted felons. A match was made that identified Carter as a suspect.

Carters genetic fingerprint had been added to the database after his conviction as a juvenile in Richmond on a charge of felony theft from a person. Under Virginia law, juvenile offenders ages 14 or older and convicted of a felony are required to submit a DNA sample, the same as adult offenders.

Two weeks after the Oct. 7, 2015, attack on the woman, Carter was arrested in a carjacking that occurred just two days after the Goolsby Avenue assault. But a Chesterfield jury acquitted him of that charge at his April 21 trial.

At his rape trial, Carter claimed in testimony that his victim had propositioned him for sex in exchange for money an accusation that prosecutors said the woman would emphatically deny. The teen offered no explanation for the injuries she sustained during the attack. But he claimed she filed charges against him as an act of revenge, because she was angry that he only had $5 to pay her for sex.

Carter, who was 16 at the time and lived in the area, testified that he was walking home to dinner when he encountered the woman.

The teen faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in September. The judge allowed him to remain free on bond, but he remains under electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet.

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Chesterfield teen ID'd as rape suspect through DNA "cold hit" pleads no contest in 2015 attack - Richmond.com

BBC News

Dutch families win right to test DNA of sperm bank doctor BBC News A Dutch court has approved a request by families seeking DNA tests on the belongings of a late fertility clinic doctor accused of using his own sperm in dozens of cases. Jan Karbaat is suspected of fathering about 60 children at the centre he ran in ... DNA tests allowed in IVF doctor scandal, Dutch court rulesDeutsche Welle Dutch court allows posthumous DNA tests on doctor in IVF scandalThe Guardian Court allows DNA tests on fertility doctor accused of sperm swapNew York Daily News The Hindu -UPI.com -Sky News all 11 news articles »

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Dutch families win right to test DNA of sperm bank doctor - BBC News

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C.

A Greenville County DNA analyst says the case of a piece of muscle tissue being found in a container in downtown Greenville is a pretty unique case.

Greenville police said they were called to the CVS on Main Street Thursday about a shipping container that appeared to have a piece of muscle inside of it.

The coroner said a preliminary evaluation shows that the tissue is not a tongue, but appears to be skeletal muscle of some kind. DNA testing will be done to determine if it is human or animal.

Brian Browning, the DNA analyst for Greenville County Forensics, will do the testing on the tissue.

Its a mystery. Thats the reason theyre trying to investigate it. They dont know, number one, is it human? And number two, where did it come from and how did it get there, Browning said.

Browning said he will take samples of the tissue, extract the DNA and then determine how much human DNA, if any, is in the sample.

This is a pretty unique case, I gotta say. Getting tissue samples in general is pretty unique for us, but in this particular instance, getting that phone call was a new type of phone call, Browning said.

Police said the container appears to have originated in North Carolina and traveled through Georgia before arriving in Greenville.

They said detectives are working to track down the container's origins to see if an industrial or other accident may have occurred, or if there's any other explanation for the tissue.

Police said the container also held other products, but none of the products were meat- or dairy-related.

The tissue was being taken to the Greenville County Law Enforcement Center, and it will be evaluated by forensic investigators, Kent Dill, with the coroner's office, said.

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DNA analyst: Muscle tissue delivered to downtown Greenville is 'pretty unique case' - WYFF Greenville