Exciting things are happening at SMGF. We currently have collections going on in Panama, Mongolia, Thailand, Benin, Togo, and of course, throughout the United States and other countries. Due to the popularity of participating in the SMGF Project and the release of the mitochondrial Database this past year, we have been overwhelmed by the excitement of those willing to participate. To compensate for the high demand, we now have more lab processing equipment as well as a larger staff. If you have not been able to find your results online, we encourage you to continue checking as we are quickly getting back up to speed. 

Searching the database can be a new and complicated experience for many people who are just getting introduced to molecular genealogy. The Y-chromosome follows a father to son relationship of the pedigree. The Y-database can be used to research the ancestral roots of any unbroken male line on the pedigree chart. It doesn't necessarily just have to be your husband, father, son, or grandfather. It can also extend to cousins. If you want to search a line, have a direct male descendant search the Sorenson Database using their genetic markers, or search by the surname of that descendant.  For a more detailed tutorial, click here.

Family Tree Magazine named Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation on its annual list of 101 best family history websites in the September 2007 magazine. The list credited the utility of the SMGF website by encouraging readers to "Get started in the fast-changing frontier of genetic genealogy at the site for this volunteer project...You can search by test results or surname in two databases of DNA profiles and family trees from around the world". Family Tree Editor Allison Stacy wrote "Thanks for providing such a useful resource for the readers of Family Tree magazine" in her congratulatory letter to SMGF.  Click here to view the full list.

One of the international collections going on at the Foundation is in Mongolia. The project, in partnership with the National University of Mongolia (NUM), collected more than 3,000 DNA samples and related multi-generation pedigree charts from individuals in all of the country's geographic regions. We thought it might be interesting to share some of the unique genealogy patterns in Mongolia.  Click here to learn more.

SMGF's founder, James LeVoy Sorenson, was featured in a USA Today article in June. The article focuses on Mr. Sorenson's work in genetic genealogy as well as his other companies.  If you missed the article, click here to read it.

The more people who participate in the Sorenson Database, the more potential samples there are for you and others to potentially match with. Many people find it difficult to find groups to participate. The options are endless; families, boy or girl scout troops, church groups, genealogical societies, neighbors, and school classes are examples that have participated in the past. For more ideas on how to organize a collection, e-mail us at participate@smgf.org.