Forensic DNA Phenotyping Criminal Scence Investigation (CSI)

Recently, In forensic researches, a type of DNA-typing that can identify genetic trait such as hair and skin color, gait, geographic ancestry and predisposition to smoking has been developed as forensic DNA Phenotypings (FDPs). FDPs have other names such as phenotypic profiling, molecular photo fitting, and visual trait prediction. FDP differs from traditional DNA-typing (DNA-fingerprinting). The latter does not reveal personal (body) information. It determines whether two samples, one from the crime scene and the other from the suspect, match together. If they match, the police would assume that the suspect is the perpetrator; Otherwise, this technology has little use when the police do not have any suspect or police/ forensic DNA-data base evidences. FDP seeks to pass this limitation by using more DNA informations and creation a genetically based description of a suspect appearance. But, unlike the traditional DNA –typing which confirms the suspects identity, FDP predicts the suspects appearance as well as behavior and geographical ancestry. But, researchers hope that in the future, this technology could be used more safely in forensic and genetic investigations.