It’s being dubbed “molecular photofitting”: producing an image of a suspect’s face from DNA left at the crime scene. New research suggests that such reconstructions may soon be possible, giving police another investigative tool.
Until now, DNA has been used to predict only a few physical characteristics, such as certain shades of hair colour, and to draw broad conclusions about genetic ancestry. Concerns have been raised about these predictions being used for crude profiling, potentially racially tinged, which have led Germany and several US states to bar their use by police.
The new technique considers individual variation in facial structure, and thus promises greater refinement. But it could still be used in unsettling ways.
Read the full, original story: Facing up to the limits of DNA-based forensics
