ICAR Homepage > Technical Bodies > Working Groups > Genetic Analysis WG

ICAR rules and guidelines for accreditation of DNA paternity testing in cattle

Considered the need for defined high quality standards in bovine paternity testing due to the relevant impact that wrong parentage may have in the estimation of genetic indexes and in national and international genetic evaluations and based on the two year work of the genetic analysis task force, ICAR has decided to define minimum requirements for laboratories running DNA analyses for breeding purposes. Guidelines for accreditation are presently given for paternity testing in cattle based on microsatellite analyses. Minimum requirements for additional species and DNA tests will be defined in the near future.

Laboratories requesting accreditation will have to apply for it downloading and filling a questionnaire (Annex I) that will be made available on the ICAR website. The form is to be filled accurately, providing necessary documentation, when required. Accreditation will be released for a two-year period, at the end of which a new application is to be completed and submitted. The application will be evaluated by a Committee of Experts appointed by ICAR that will approve it, require additional information or reject it. In case of rejection the applicant may submit a new form at least one year after her/his failed application.

The present Rules contain Minimum requirements for accreditation of DNA paternity testing in cattle.

Annexes I, II and III in the hard copy will contain the guidelines for the implementation of these Rules. 

1)      LABORATORY IDENTIFICATION

The applicant should be unambiguously identified:

1. Name of the laboratory.

2. Institution if relevant.

3. Address and Country.

4. A reference person as well as all information necessary for quickly getting in touch with her/him is to be given. 

2)      EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF LAB SUPERVISOR AND OPERATORS

The minimum requirements for education and training of laboratory supervisor and operators are:

1. At least a bachelor degree in a scientific discipline is required to the laboratory head or supervisor.

2. At least 5 years experience in molecular diagnostics is required to the laboratory senior operator.

Experience is considered a key factor both in data production and in the interpretation of results. 

3)      EQUIPMENT

1. Equipment used to run and score microsatellite is to be described.

2. The year of purchase and last revision is to be made available, to check the appropriateness of technologies used and the following of a proper maintenance program ensuring the production of high quality data.

3. Yearly revision is considered as a minimum requirement.

4. A personal opinion on the performance of the laboratory set up available is asked to foresee the need for improvements in quality standards. 

4)      CERTIFICATION

1. International or national certification should be declared.

2.  International certification will become a minimum requirement for ICAR accreditation within 3 years after the approval of these Rules. 

5)      PARTICIPATION AND PERFORMANCE IN RING TEST

1. The participation to international and national ring test is to be declared and the performance in these ring tests disclosed.

2. The participation in at least two international ring tests is considered a minimum requirement.  

The Committee of Experts, considering the structure of the ring test and the average performance of laboratories in the ring test and year, will decide performance thresholds. Indications on how to calculate error rate are given in Annex II. 

6)      MICROSATELLITE MARKERS

1. Name of all microsatellites typed on all animals (marker set I) and of the additional ones assayed in the case of unresolved paternity (marker set II) is to be declared, as well as the number of animals typed in the last two years.

2.  Minimum requirement is the use on all animals typed of the complete set of 9 micorsatellites recommended by ISAG (see Annex III).

3. The upgrade of the number of markers assayed on all animals to a minimum of 11 is envisaged in the short period, with the perspective of increasing this minimum requirement to the use of 16 microsatellites.

4. d)  To ensure sufficient experience within the lab, a number of 500 animals analysed per year is set as minimum requirement for certification.

5. Exclusion probability (2 parents and 1 parent) of each and every marker and of complete marker sets is to be calculated and declared.

6. The type of population and the number of animals used for computations are to be described. ICAR recommends using Holstein as reference when possible. The ICAR Committee of Experts will evaluate that an appropriate PE is reached for accreditation, on the basis of the population analyzed. 

7)      MARKER NOMENCLATURE

1. Nomenclature of markers is to be described.

2. Minimum requirement is the use of ISAG nomenclature at least for the ISAG marker set.

This page has been visited since 9-March-2007
Page last up-dated: 12/07/2008