AFP will soon utilise new technology to help identify potential offenders.

Criminals should be very afraid. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) will soon have revolutionary new technology that can predict what a potential offender physically looks like using genetic material left at crime scenes.

New technology known as massively parallel sequencing (MPS) can provide predictions for the visual features of criminals from the DNA they leave at a crime scene, allowing investigators to predict the gender, the biogeographic ancestry, eye colour and, in the coming months, hair colour.

Dr Paul Roffey, Lead Scientist behind MPS at AFP Forensics and Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra said the possibilities for MPS technology will only increase.

“Over the next decade our team will be looking to widen prediction capabilities to include traits such as age, body mass index and height,” he said.

“We will also be seeking opportunities to provide fine detail predictions for facial metrics such as distance between the eyes, eye, nose and ear shape, lip fullness, and cheek structure.”

MPS examines large areas of a DNA sample, providing more informative results for researchers than traditional DNA testing. In what sounds like technology straight out of a sci-fi movie, the strength of MPS technology lies in its ability to extract data from DNA when the perpetrator is unknown and the law enforcement DNA database does not have a corresponding profile. The platform also has apps for missing and unidentified human remains.

AFP is currently testing and evaluating the MPS to ensure its accuracy, prior to any use in forensic investigations and is committed to maintaining public in the use of new biotechnology.

They implemented processes to minimise the impact on privacy and protect any genetic information.