Why do different companies offer different marker tests?
At this time, no one company offers testing on all currently known markers. The several markers tested by all companies are those for which testing protocols have been available for the longest period of time (but that does not necessarily mean they are the “most important” markers). After a scientist (usually in a government funded research lab) discovers a new marker and is granted a new DYS number, the information to duplicate the test is made available to the scientific community. However, a commercial laboratory’s entire testing protocol would have to be redesigned each time a new marker test is added and this is an expensive procedure. Companies have to standardize what they offer or they would “go broke” very fast.
