Finn Seibold

Forensic Science 

December 13th, 2019

Current Event 11

Indianapolis School of Science. “Forensics: New Tool Predicts Eye, Hair and Skin Color from a DNA Sample of an Unidentified Individual.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 14 May 2018, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180514083926.htm

    Thanks to the hard work of an international team of scientists working from the School of Science at IUPUI and Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam in the Netherlands, a revolutionary new forensic tool related to DNA has been developed. This new tool, called the HIrisPlex-S DNA test system, involves the inputting of relevant genetic data by law enforcement in order for the web based system to predict pigmentations for hair, eye and skin color of the suspect in question. Often, especially for the skin color, the system will be able to categorize the suspects trait into several predetermined categories (EX for skin: Very Pale, Pale, Intermediate, Dark, Very Dark). Although in the past other tools have existed that have allowed for the simple determination of eye and hair color, determining skin color has been more difficult, yet has nonetheless been accomplished. 

    There are various factors which suggest that this is an important breakthrough, especially in the world of forensic science. Often, when genetic material is found at a crime scene, it is only really of use to investigators if they have something to compare it to. While this is still very effective, it is limited to a pool of suspect’s whose entic information is known in some law enforcement database. The HIrisPlex-S DNA test system would allow investigators to make determinations from the genetic material they find even if they do not have a reference to compare it to, making a significantly more universally applicable tool for forensic investigation. Another reason why this tool in particular is helpful is because of the specific qualities it can describe. Most eyewitnesses will remember, gender, skin, eye and hair color as the most prominent physical characteristic of a person, so this tool could also be very useful for law enforcement to verify eyewitness accounts of crimes. 

    While the article was certainly well written in a sophisticated manner that effectively conveyed the information of the subject in question, there are a few things that they could have improved. Firstly, I felt that the authors could have elaborated on the specific challenges associated with each specific trait determination. For example, I was left wondering whether there is some particular genetic reason why skin color is harder to determine from a DNA sample. Another thing I thought the author could have added was a more detailed background discussion on how DNA evidence is commonly used today in order to then contrast this with the potentially revolutionary changes the HIrisPlex-S DNA test system could bring.