• 14th_cylon@lemmy.zip
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    3 days ago

    In the 1970s, there was an incident where these cells contaminated other cell cultures, so the researchers needed DNA samples from the Henrietta’s family to differentiate her cells from the others.

    I don’t understand. First, what was the point? I doubt there was a way to split the sample attacked by a cancer cells, they probably weren’t going to recalibrate the transporter and untuvix them.

    Second, weren’t there thousands of the copies of the sample? Why wouldn’t they compare it to one of them, instead of bothering the family?

      • The_v@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        They detected allozymes (differences in proteins) by electrophoresis in the 1970’s.

        This could tell the difference between species and maybe if they were lucky large family groups. It wasn’t as exact as using DNA.