Could forensic scientists soon reconstruct facial 3D images from DNA at crime scenes?

In research published in Advanced Science, investigators describe their ability to reconstruct 3D facial images from DNA data, which could have important applications in forensic investigations of crime scenes. 

Their model, called Difface, applies single DNA nucleotide differences to 3D facial point clouds, or sets of data points that represent the exterior surface of a face.  

When tested on a Han Chinese database with 9,674 paired DNA differences and 3D facial images, Difface demonstrated excellent performance in DNA-to-3D image alignment and reconstruction. Also, including additional information such as age, sex, and body mass index in Difface further improved the quality of reconstructed facial 3D images. 

“Amazingly, Difface could generate 3D facial images of individuals solely from their DNA data, projecting their appearance at various future ages,” said co–corresponding author Luonan Chen, PhD, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 
 
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202414507

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
Advanced Science, part of the prestigious Wiley Advanced portfolio, is an open access interdisciplinary science journal publishing the best-in-class fundamental and applied research in materials science, physics, chemistry, medical and life sciences, and engineering. Our mission is to give top science the maximum accessibility through open access publishing.

About Wiley      
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a trusted leader in research and learning. Our industry-leading content, services, platforms, and knowledge networks are tailored to meet the evolving needs of our customers and partners, including researchers, students, instructors, professionals, institutions, and corporations. We empower knowledge-seekers to transform today’s biggest obstacles into tomorrow’s brightest opportunities. For more than two centuries, Wiley has been delivering on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.