It someday might be possible to accurately reconstruct your whole face from just traces of DNA, according to Smithsonian. This is called “DNA phenotyping,” which is when you reconstruct physical features from genetic data. It has been an active area of research for several years now.
One method, called the IrisPlex system, uses six DNA markers to determine whether someone has brown or blue eyes. That was created in 2010. Then, in 2012, additional markers were included to predict hair color and last year, they added skin color.
Research studies and companies like 23andMe sometimes share genetic data that is “anonymous” because names have been removed. But is it really that private? Smithsonian writes that the rapidly developing field of DNA phenotyping has shown us how much personal information is in our genetic data, which means protecting the privacy of that data in the future might mean coming up with innovative ways of masking it.
Thanks for reading InsideHook. Sign up for our daily newsletter and be in the know.
