DNA sketches for criminology

A brief overview of the methodology and (unfortunately, so far to no avail) an example of its application:

The University of Pennsylvania has created a program that draws portraits based on DNA

ivansychev, Geektimes

A professor of anthropology and genetics at Penn State University has created a program that analyzes a person's DNA and draws his portrait. Scientists have found out how genes affect the creation of a face. The program draws a portrait in a few minutes, connecting genetic markers and parts of the face. Why this is necessary, scientists are still debating and figuring out in which areas the development can be applied.

Mark Shriver, professor of anthropology and genetics, and his team found out how DNA affects the structure of the human face. The result of the study was a program capable of drawing a portrait. At first glance, there is a similarity between the portrait and the original.

To create the program, Dr. Shriver measured seven thousand points of the human face and analyzed their connections with thousands of genetic variants. The program makes a portrait based on a person's gender, information about his ancestors, and twenty-four variants in twenty genes responsible for the structure of the face.

The editors of the New York Times checked the correspondence of the portraits to the originals – I've Just Seen a (DNA-Generated) Face. To do this, scientists sent the DNA of reporter John Markoff and video journalist Katherine Spangler. Apart from DNA samples, there was no information – neither about the weight, nor about the height, nor about the age of the subjects. In the first photo – John Markoff, no one in the editorial office could recognize him by the portrait – on the top right. Later, Dr. Shriver entered age into the program, receiving a portrait on the bottom right – more like the truth (the author of the note knows better, more or less – VM).

Ten colleagues recognized Katherine Spangler.

What application options does this technology have? First of all, criminology suggests itself. Modern developments allow us to find out the gender, eye color, hair color, possible country of the suspect. But it will be much more interesting if you can simply print out a sketch of the criminal using DNA, as was done in the District of Columbia, USA. This portrait was made by another company – Parabon NanoLabs.

NYT: Scientists will be able to recreate a portrait of a person by DNA

Copper news

There were no eyewitnesses or cameras at the scene of the murder of a young woman and her 3-year-old daughter four years ago. However, police in Columbia, South Carolina, last month released a portrait of a possible suspect – based on his DNA. This is the first time that portraits based on the reconstruction of the phenotype by DNA are made public in the investigation of a criminal case. But so far this measure has not put the police on the trail, writes The New York Times (Building a Face, and a Case, on DNA).

Scientists can already use DNA to predict the color of hair and eyes with a sufficient degree of accuracy. In addition, more difficult to analyze characteristics are also determined, for example, skin color, freckles, curly hair or baldness, age and even the shape of teeth. Small companies already offer law enforcement agencies the services of creating indicative images based on genetic samples. "At least it narrows down the suspects," said Susan Walsh, an associate professor of biology at Indiana University–Purdue University in Indianapolis, who recently received a $1.1 million grant from the Justice Department to develop the technology.

However, some scientists doubt the reliability of the method, especially its ability to recreate facial images. In addition, the developing technology raises other questions: whether its use will lead to an invasion of privacy or racial conflicts.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru 26.02.2015