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?