DNAPrint Announces Forensic Eye Color Results at Amsterdam Forensic Meeting; World's First Genomics-Derived Test For Forensics Investigation With Predictive Capabilities

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DNAPrint Announces Forensic Eye Color Results at Amsterdam Forensic Meeting; World's First Genomics-Derived Test For Forensics Investigation With Predictive Capabilities
Posted on: 11/25/2003

SARASOTA, Fla. -- DNAPrint genomics, Inc. announced progress Nov. 20, 2003 in developing anthropomorphic genomics testing products to an audience of approximately 500 forensic scientists and detectives at the "DNA ... sporen naar de toekomst II" conference sponsored by the Netherlands Forensic Institute.

In 2002, DNAPrint filed a patent application on numerous genetic sequences associated with and predictive for human iris color. The sequences discovered by DNAPrint scientists are known as "markers," and to demonstrate that the predictive value for the markers extends to other sets of samples, DNAPrint initiated an internal validation trial using newly collected samples from across the United States. It was reported in this conference that:

1) Most of the markers originally identified have been validated as generally associated with iris color.

2) The associations for a majority of the markers in the new set of samples are at least as strong as those observed in the set of samples previously studied, and

3) DNAPrint has completed the screening of an additional 11,000 polymorphisms across the human genome to identify and validate a number of additional human iris color markers.

From its screen of a total of 13,000 polymorphisms in over 1,200 samples, 40 markers from a number of human chromosomes (notably chromosomes 1 and 15) have been identified as associated with iris color in individuals of majority European BioGeographical Ancestry (BGA). Iris color classification accuracy in the validation set, called "within-model" accuracy, was calculated at 97 percent considering a two-group classification scheme (dark and light). Dr. Frudakis, on behalf of DNAPrint, reported that he is already engaged in the next step of the validation process -- to blindly challenge the classifier as the DNAPrint scientists did with the ANCESTRYbyDNA 2.0 test last year. Pending the outcome of this trial, a classifier incorporating these markers, DNAPrint will be the first to introduce eye color determination (either Blue or Brown or some other color) from a crime scene sample and the world's second commercially introduced anthropometric test for the construction of physical profiles from crime scene DNA.

During the presentation, DNAPrint also announced that some of the early work on human iris color has been accepted for publication in the peer-reviewed journal "Genetics." The paper "Sequences Associated with Human Iris Pigmentation" will appear in the upcoming December issue, and represents the first systematic post-genome era study of human iris color to have yet been published. DNAPrint was one of the first to identify more markers and prior to this work, few markers for human iris color were known, and it had not been possible to predict iris color from DNA (nor any other anthropometric trait) with good sensitivity and/or specificity. Several of the markers described in this paper are necessary (but not sufficient) to infer iris color from DNA; the paper represents about 1/5th of the research conducted by DNAPrint in this area.

Also discussed at the conference was the progress implementing the world's first genome based anthropometric test -- DNAWitness 2.0, which allows for the quantitative measurement of BioGeographical Ancestry (BGA), or the heritable component of race. DNAPrint introduced a novel database system and algorithms to allow investigators to make accurate and objective inferences about certain elements of physical appearance from a DNAWitness 2.0 BioGeographical Ancestry admixture profile. The system allows the customer to query the database with a BGA profile and visualize historically typed samples and to computationally infer values for certain anthropometric traits. For certain traits, and in certain BGA groups, BGA admixture can be used to make accurate predictions of trait value and the system was described as integral for allowing an empirical construction of partial physical profiles from crime scene DNA.

"We are moving closer to the day when a fuzzy photograph of the criminal will be available to the detectives based on the DNA left at the crime scene," said Dr. Tony Frudakis, CSO of DNAPrint genomics, Inc. "It is imperative that we introduce these new advances to the forensics and detectives community as soon as possible, once they have been validated. We continue to work with law enforcement officers, forensic scientists, medical examiners and other scientists to broaden and strengthen our product's performance."

"DNAPrint is on the leading edge of this new technology and it will continue to focus its resources and efforts on introducing new products and services that will increase our market awareness," said Richard Gabriel, CEO and president of DNAPrint. "The value of this product to an investigator searching for a killer, rapist or child molester can not be quantified but we can measure our performance as a part of the investigative team and as a tool used by investigators to help bring the offender to justice. I should emphasize that without the integration of this new tool into the investigative process and the hard work and dedication of the investigators, forensic scientists, medical examiners and witnesses, this test would have remained a laboratory curiosity but the facts are clear ... by helping the task force in Louisiana ... who contacted us in the quickest possible time after we announced the product ... until they caught the suspect, was less than 12 weeks. Furthermore, in California by working with the task force, we were able to help them focus on a narrower list of suspects which was gathered by their detectives and scientists using hard nosed, grueling investigative work in the field and in the crime lab, to result in another arrest of a suspect within 6 weeks." He said, "The DNAWitness 2.0 product can be used by investigators, forensic scientist and medical examiners as another tool in the investigative process. This product will help identify the appropriate group of suspects, based on scientific DNA evidence left at the crime scene and not based on other less-acceptable forms of suspect identification."

DNAPrint genomics Inc. was founded by a team of scientists with research and commercial experience in high-level mathematical modeling, programming and molecular genetics. The DNAWitness analysis is a direct result of focused research by the DNAP research and development team.

In addition, using proprietary human genome research methods, the company develops pharma-predictive tests for matching patients with drugs based on their genetic constitution, discovers disease genes for the development of new drugs and develops new forensic genomics and recreational genomics testing products.

Source: DNAPrint genomics, Inc.