DNA PHENOTYPING:
The word phenotype refers to the characteristics or traits of an animal such as the morphology, development, bio chemical or physiological properties. DNA phenotyping is the process of predicting the phenotype of animal or human using only genetic information collected. It is also referred to as molecular photo fitting which primarily predicts a person’s physical appearance and biogeographic ancestry for forensic reasons.
Biogeographic ancestry determination uses human genetic clustering and principal component analysis to compare new subjects to curated individuals with known ancestry. Recently, companies like Parabon, NanoLabs and Identitias have begun offering forensic DNA phenotyping services.
DNA phenotyping involves
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Private companies are marketing DNA phenotyping procedure to police agencies to help in identifying a suspect through a visual image.
Forensic DNA phenotyping is a young field of forensic genitics. It is the extraction of human phenotypes from molecular analysis obtained from samples in the crime scenes. Latest advances in human genetics have delivered knowledge about the genes involved in external visible characteristics such as hair morphology, pigmentation or body height.
DNA fingerprinting (traditionally known as DNA profiling) uses DNA as a biometric identifier. A DNA profile can identify a person with high levels of accuracy. When investigators need to zero down on a single person in a pool of possible individuals or identify from unknown remains by learning from ancestry and appearance, DNA phenotyping is used. After the individual is identified, DNA profiling can be used to prove the match if a reference sample is available.
An instance of successful use of forensic DNA
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The accuracy of predicting the embryo’s appearance depends on the extent to which the expected physical traits can be linked correctly to the genetics in a way that the link would not be disturbed by the foetus development environment.
The DNA sample required could be obtained in many ways. Clinicians could take a cell from an in vitro embryo or foetal cells can be isolated from amniotic fluid. However, using DNA phenotyping at the embryonic stages might cause parents to show favouritism to one child over other. Certain bioethicists are against this though some think that parents should be able to choose the traits for their children to help them live the best possible lives.
Whatever the arguments may linger, DNA phenotyping for embryos is still in theoretical papers and still has a long way to go before it becomes available for practical