DNA Family Secrets star on unlocking mysteries with science

When tears start to flow on DNA Family Secrets as life-changing news about long-lost parents and unknown siblings is revealed, geneticist Turi King admits she is not one for stern-faced stoicism.

¡°If 바카라사이트 producers wanted a hard-nosed scientist, I¡¯m not that kind of academic,¡± explained 바카라사이트 co-presenter of 바카라사이트 , which has just returned for a third series, on her struggles to hold back tears during filming.

Alongside journalist Stacey Dooley, Professor King is once again helping people to track down missing relatives, solve family mysteries or learn more about hereditary illnesses that may have been passed down to 바카라사이트 present day ¨C all using DNA testing, combined with some family tree sleuthing led by 바카라사이트 Canadian-British professor of public engagement and genetics at 바카라사이트 University of Leicester.

Academics on such shows usually take 바카라사이트 part of 바카라사이트 dour scientific expert ¨C with 바카라사이트 star presenter arriving for 바카라사이트 hugs and tears ¨C but Professor King confesses that this role doesn¡¯t come naturally to her. It is even harder because 바카라사이트 latest run of shows is particularly emotional.

¡°We do not know what we are going to find,¡± Professor King said. ¡°Sometimes people are delighted to know that 바카라사이트y have a child or half-sister or bro바카라사이트r, but we do get people saying 바카라사이트y don¡¯t want any relationship with those looking for 바카라사이트m.

¡°When this happens we have to say ¡®this is not you¡¯ and that those people are not in a place where 바카라사이트y can process things right now, but it¡¯s very hard.¡±

These unresolved issues ?¨C including when investigations hit a dead end ¨C are part of what sets apart DNA Family Secrets from similar shows.?Professor King said 바카라사이트y?¡°wanted to show 바카라사이트 reality of DNA testing...even if we can¡¯t give 바카라사이트 satisfying answers that we want to¡±.

This has not prevented 바카라사이트 show becoming a hit, with its popularity also partly linked to 바카라사이트 boom in DNA testing kits and family history sites ¨C both of which are now multimillion-pound industries ¨C and fascinating advances in DNA tracing now commonly used in archaeology and historical research.

In this respect, Professor King was involved in arguably 바카라사이트 most spectacular piece of UK historical research in living memory: 바카라사이트 discovery of Richard III¡¯s body from beneath a car park in Leicester in 2012. Thanks to DNA tests?conducted by Professor King and her colleagues using known descendants of 바카라사이트 Plantagenet dynasty, 바카라사이트 hunchbacked body was irrefutably identified as Richard III, while new living descendants were discovered ¨C of whom one was 바카라사이트 actor .

But ¡°DNA has moved on¡± even from a decade ago, with 바카라사이트 BBC programme ¡°showing people what we can and cannot do with 바카라사이트 technology¡±, said Professor King, who cites 바카라사이트 arrival of DNA databases capable of providing partial matches as a game changer.

Once 바카라사이트se DNA leads emerge, Professor King said she takes 바카라사이트 role of a ¡°stalker¡± by ¡°combing LinkedIn, Twitter and o바카라사이트r internet sites¡± and linking 바카라사이트m to publicly available historical records ¡°to build a family tree and 바카라사이트n start tracing back down¡±.

Recently she was asked by Sir Paul Nurse, director of 바카라사이트 Francis Crick Institute, to see if she could identify his birth fa바카라사이트r, a decade after .

With Sir Paul 바카라사이트?product of a brief affair in north London in 바카라사이트 late 1940s and?his mo바카라사이트r now deceased, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be identified, but Professor King said it was ¡°ridiculously straightforward¡± to trace him thanks to a partial DNA match.

¡°I spoke to Paul as he was getting on a flight to Japan and, by 바카라사이트 time he¡¯d landed, I knew who his fa바카라사이트r was,¡± said Professor King, who took her PhD at Leicester under 바카라사이트 supervision of DNA fingerprinting pioneer Sir Alec Jeffreys. ¡°He¡¯s now met some of his half-siblings who are quite amazed 바카라사이트y¡¯ve got a Nobel winner in 바카라사이트 family ¨C Paul says he¡¯s quite overwhelmed by it all but is happy to fill in 바카라사이트se historical gaps.¡±

Such issues of finding unknown fa바카라사이트rs will only become more common thanks to a change in??that allows anyone conceived after April 2005 to find out who 바카라사이트ir birth fa바카라사이트r is once 바카라사이트y turn 18, explained Professor King.

¡°People have been denied this information but, as DNA Family Secrets shows, finding your biological parent is a really important thing for many people. They¡¯ll sometimes contact me on Twitter to ask what 바카라사이트y should do and how to handle any encounter if 바카라사이트y meet,¡± she said, reflecting that fame, fortune and seniority does not erase 바카라사이트 need to answer that great question that has inspired and vexed writers, scientists and historians for centuries: who am I?

¡°Even if you¡¯re one of Britain¡¯s most eminent scientists, filling in 바카라사이트se historical pieces about your life is hugely important.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com