Shanghai Daily news

The cost of DNA tests to prove paternity will drop significantly as China's first domestically developed DNA testing reagent passed expert appraisal last week and will be put into production in six months.
The Shanghai Institute of Forensic Sciences and Shanghai Shenyou Biological Technology Co are working on production of the reagent - a substance used in a chemical reaction to detect and measure other substances.
Though the price is expected to fall, industry insiders said there may not be a huge increase in demand for the tests, as the market shouldn't involve too much commercial activities. Moreover, the demands are also not as high as some media outlets have suggested.
Officials from the institute said the new technology is in line with international standards and early testing suggests it is even more effective than current DNA tests.
"Previously, all such reagents are imported from the United States. The new reagent provides one more choice for applicants and helps them save money," said Wu Hejian, director of the institute's sciences and technology department.
The price of a DNA test in official facilities ranges from 3,000 (US$361) to 5,000 yuan. The present cost is 3,000 yuan in the institute, the only official facility conducting such tests in the city.
In China, the result from tests conducted at official facilities can be used as legal evidence, but applicants must provide their true identity and purpose for the test.
Private testing centers can conduct tests for individual customers, but the results can't be used in court.
"Our court authorizes about 10 such tests a year. Most concern family disputes," said Gu Jianguo, an official with the Shanghai Huangpu District People's Court.
"There are certain requirements on the service access, such as professional quality, equipment and administration from the legal authorities. We  received dozens of applications for paternity tests since last year," said Yang Lun, an official with Nanjing Yesu Biotechnology Co, which is associated to Nanjing Agriculture University. The private company charges 2,700 yuan for one test.
"It is true that some facilities are attracting customers by exaggerating the extramarital affairs and low price. But, there are no reports on wrong checking results so far and the city government always keeps its eyes on the service," Yang said.