DNA sampling kit

DNA sampling kit, including pre-injection swab, syringe, Li-heparin blood tube, EDTA blood tube, butterfly needle, and cotton wool ball, c. 2012

Blood sampling is an essential tool in DNA research. It is the first step in answering questions about health, illness, preventative medicine and how people respond to pain or what their health outcomes might be.

Professor Geoffrey Woods uses DNA sampling and testing in his work on understanding people's responses to pain. He and his team were the first to report that some people who don’t feel pain have a genetic change that affects pain-sensing nerves in their bodies. By understanding pain more thoroughly, it is hoped new ways of reducing and controlling unnecessary pain can be found.