How Australian police will use DNA sequencing to predict what suspects look like - The Guardian

^{( December 7, 2021; The Guardian )}

Based on DNA left at a crime scene, the technology – also known as massively parallel sequencing – can predict externally visible characteristics of a person even in the absence of matching profiles in police databases.

MPS can “predict gender, biogeographical ancestry, eye colour and, in coming months, hair colour”, according to the AFP.

Experts say the technology is a “gamechanger” for forensic science but also raises issues around racial profiling, heightened surveillance and genetic privacy.

Traditional DNA sequencing focuses on just 24 areas of the genome, and it doesn't provide enough information to predict a person's appearance. It's basically only useful for solving crimes if a person's DNA is already in a crime database.

In contrast, Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS), sequences tens of millions of DNA bits at a time. In this way, it is able to predict physical characteristics, like eye and hair color. In the future, scientists plan to be able to get even more detail, "such as distance between the eyes, eye, nose and ear shape, lip fullness, and cheek structure". MPS has been used commercially for a decade or more, and it has also been used in forensics cases "overseas".

In addition to helping with the identification of criminal suspects, it could also be used to reconstruct the appearance of human remains for missing persons cases.

Read the rest from The Guardian: How Australian police will use DNA sequencing to predict what suspects look like

-h/t Communications of the ACM

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In conclusion, technology will help in many issues, the only thing I do not like is the issue of privacy, I hope that the same technology helps to only address this issue as well.
I wish you a happy Thursday

It will help very much to reduce crimes and find the actual criminal easily. Modern forensic science and future technology will make the job of police easier. Thanks for the information.

I have seen this to make a visual of murder by using his hair in an Indian movie. But I never think It's possible in real life. I think this is the great innovation ever for forensic science.

Good topic, interesting DNA study to predict the externally visible characteristics of a person. So the work of the police authorities will be more efficient to catch any murderer or criminal. Greetings.

DNA sequence are mostly used in crime section. for identify or guess suspect. I read about DNA sequencing, reapplication, polymerase when i was middle class student

Using DNA related issue in provement of many incident will be very good if it can be characterised properly. It can change the basic structure of many experiment.

To use DNA sequencing in preventing crime or against it, genome sequencing database will play an important role in this regard. Using DNA sequencing in this area will expose a new door.