The goal of "BiddleEtc" is the advancement of the genealogy of surnames BIDDLE and BECHTEL, their variations, and any other phonetically similar surname, whatever its origin, through the new science of genetic genealogy.  DNA testing of the male Y-chromosome is a powerful tool for supporting (or refuting) pedigrees and breaking through brickwalls.  All BIDDLE/BECHTEL/etc. males are encouraged to participate.  If you are new to genetic testing for genealogical purposes, you are encouraged to read the material linked here:

The FamilyTreeDNA web site indicates that five BIDDLEs and one BIDLE were tested with them prior to the opening of this project.  We would like to especially encourage these individuals to join the BIDDLE Y-DNA project.

Anyone wishing to offer subsidies to encourage testing of specific lines may have their offer posted here (anonymously if you wish). 

•  Your project admin is offering to fully subsidize a 37-marker Y-DNA STR test for a male BIDDLE (or variation) who is a patrilineal line descendant of Andreas BÜTTEL or Hans Georg BÜTTEL [later variations:  BUTTEL, BITTEL, BITTLE, BIDDLE] who emigrated from Germany arriving on 2 November 1752 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the ship Phoenix out of Rotterdam.
• If you would like to offer a subsidy here, please contact the Project Administrator.

In recognition of the fact that some individuals may find the cost of DNA testing prohibitive and that these individuals may be the only representatives of key lines in our genealogical research, Family Tree DNA has instituted "General Funds" to allow researchers to subsidize the testing of these key individuals.  The fund can also be used as a simple way to give someone a gift of DNA testing.  Please see this link at Family Tree DNA for more details.  And please consider a donation to the project as a way of bringing more lines into the project, especially to help some of our elder kin be tested who may not otherwise be able to afford it.  There is also a field on the donation form allowing you to make a donation in honor of a specific person.  The funds will be entirely collected and held by Family Tree DNA, but their dispursement is implemented by your project administrator.  You can inform your project adminstrator whose test you want subsidized with your donation or, if you wish, you can leave it up to the project administrator to decide where the funds can best be applied.  Please note that anonymous donations are not just anonymous to the public; they are also anonymous to the project admin.  If you want the admin to know you made the donation and/or have a special request for how it is to be spent, please notify the admin by email at the time you make the donation.

If you are seeking general information, I would recommend subscribing to either or both of these lists:
DNA-NEWBIE at RootsWeb — DNA-NEWBIE at ISOGG
Don't let the list names fool you; there are real experts there.

And for the gateway to genealogy web links, specifically DNA links, see Cyndi's List - DNA.

The image in the banners is of Andalusia, the estate of Nicholas BIDDLE, located in Bensalem Twp., Bucks Co., PA (photo credit: Jack Boucher, released to the public domain via Wikimedia Commons).

The project's Administrator is yours truly, Diana Gale Matthiesen.  I'm a retired zoologist/paleontologist, and genealogy is my hobby.  The project's Co-Administrator and Biddle Lineage Manager is Joe Rhea — he is the resident expert on BIDDLE, BEDELL, etc. genealogy.  Update (Nov 2011):  The Bechtel Project has been merged with the Biddle Project. Update (Mar 2014):  Kate Kuzmich, former Admin of the Bechtel Project and Co-Admin of the merged projects, has retired.