Just Based on DNA, Scientists Can Construct an Image of Your Face

(Credit: Shriver Claes/Penn State)

Putting pencil to paper has been the tried-and-true method to illustrate the faces of wanted criminals, but new technology is changing this traditional approach. DNA, rather than an artists skill, is an emerging tool to recreate the face behind a crime.

The new forensic technique is called DNA phenotyping. It relies on DNA, found for instance in a drop of blood, to create a simulated face based upon genetic markers. Although the science still has room to grow, start-up companies in the United States are already producing DNA-based sketches to assist police departments in criminal investigations.

One of the leaders in this growing field of research is Penn State Universitys Mark Shriver. In a study published in PLOS Genetics, Shrivers team detailed the process.

First they compiled a list of known genetic mutations that cause facial and cranial deformations, because these genes, in their normal variations, could give us our distinctive looks. With these genes marked, researchers compared the genetic profiles of people with vastly different faces in order to highlight, through contrast, which genetic variations were at work. For example, the gene responsible for lip size would be expressed differently in someone with luscious lips than in someone with thin lips.

An example of the 7,000-point face map used by Shrivers team. (Shriver Claes/Penn State)

Next, researchers scanned those same faces to build a 3-D facial map with over 7,000 coordinates. By combining genetic and facial map data, researchers could link DNA markers with certain facial attributes to build a predictive algorithm. The technique can predict genetic ancestry, freckles, facial shape as well as eye, hair and skin color.

But its clear that DNA phenotyping is in its infancy. In their papers, Shrivers team said their genetic analysis explained only 23 percent of variations in faces. Shriver and his team continue to refine their technique, and theyre homing in on other genetic variants that could help build more accurate faces.

An example of a DNA-generated face from Snapshot. (Credit: Parabon Nanolabs)

When you run a persons DNA data through Shrivers algorithm, you get a rather generic face that isnt too far from the mark, but theres still a lot of room for improvement. When writers from the New York Times recently tested the technique in their office, none of the roughly 50 employees that participated could correctly identify reporter John Markoff, and only 10 people identified video journalist Catherine Spangler.

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Just Based on DNA, Scientists Can Construct an Image of Your Face