Forensics and criminal investigations now routinely include using the DNA to identify a person – missing, dead or a criminal suspect – by matching with other DNA samples on the scene or a database. Obviously, this technology becomes limited when there is no database or DNA to match with.
But now, it is possible to actually draw a person’s face using a DNA sample! Called “forensic molecular photofitting”, the process uses mapped genes that are linked to skin pigmentation and facial structure to reconstruct facial features and skin tones.
The process was used to help identify a serial killer in Baton …read more

The Minnesota Court of Appeals has struck down a law that allowed the collection of DNA samples from people who’ve been charged with a crime but NOT convicted. The Science & Law Blog believes that the Supreme Court will eventually have to get involved if more states begin requiring a DNA sample before conviction.
The Court Appeals agreed with the defendant that automatic DNA sampling before any conviction is obtained violates the Fourth Amendment. The court distinguished the many cases upholding the constitutionality of compelling convicted offenders to contribute samples to a databank for identification as follows: “an individual who …read more

For anyone hoping to make a dime or a few thousand dollars off of celebrity DNA either by selling their half-eaten food (Britney and K-Fed’s corndog anyone?) or hair, it will become illegal in the UK on September 1, 2006 to take a sample of someone’s DNA for analysis without their explicit consent.
The Human Tissues Act requires that anyone removing or storing body parts, organs or tissue must have prior consent. It will apply to everyone from medical scientists working on diseased tissues to surgeons removing organs from a recently deceased person or museums or exhibitions displaying human body …read more