[caption id="attachment_82024" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Researchers use computer program to crudely predict a facial structure from genetic variations. | PlosOne, doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004224.g002[/caption]3D Mugshots Based on DNA
DNA provides valuable evidence in trials for all sorts of crimes. Now, there is hope of DNA being able to be used to develop 3D mugshot of a person's face. This is thanks to a special computer programs that has been developed.

This research is being performed by Mark Shriver (an anthropologist) and his team at the Pennsylvania State University. He is attempting to discover how the facial structure of a person relates to his genetic code. This research could lead to the criminal's face being reconstructed with only a strand of hair left at the crime scene.

It is easy to make a prediction to the color of someone's hair or eyes using DNA, but it is a bit more difficult to reconstruct the structure of the entire face, which would be more useful in solving crimes. Shriver's research involves studying more than 592 people of mixed decent through using high-res photos of their faces. The team used thousands of data points on the digital faces to analyze the various facial features in relationship to their ethnicity.

Then the research team compared the genomes of volunteers to the above data points to discover how the DNA varied from a single base called SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism). The members of the team further analyzed the genes they considered to be connected to facial development as in an embryo's head shape along with other things. The estimated how the given SNP could affect a person's facial structure.

By the time the study concluded, the team discovered 24 SNP involving more than 20 different gents that had some type of affect on a person's facial structure. The researchers were with this discovery and other information went on to develop a predictive model that today is able to form a rough facial representation using only the genetic code of the a person.

Resources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/3d-mugshots-based-on-dna-2014-3
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/21/mugshots-dna-computer-program_n_5006184.html