Why Not Just Store A Buccal Swab For Future Testing?
A swab stored for a period of time will usually yield sufficient DNA for testing, but not always. Storing a swab has these limitations: First, DNA is not visible to the human eye, so it is impossible to determine if the swab contains DNA in sufficient quantity for testing. Second, the collected swab must be properly dried and stored to maintain the viability of the DNA And, finally, over time bacteria and other organisms transferred from the saliva to the swab can destroy the DNA.
