DNA testing

[Andy008]

why is DNA screening of blood so time-consuming?

[MEDUSA]

It really depends what they are screening for...and "time-consuming" is relative.

In my experience, a screen for a genetic mutation involves either a restriction enzyme digest or a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and then running on an agarose gel which doesn't seem too long ..but maybe I speak from a different perspective...are you waiting for a screen?  The hold up may be the queue of other samples rather than the screen.  Or if it is a particularly sensitive issue - these things tend to get rescreened to ensure accuracy.