Polish scientists helped create one of the most advanced forensic tools yet for estimating a person’s age from DNA, according to participants in the VISAGE consortium. The models, developed with Polish input, are being tested and validated in laboratories around the world.
VISAGE — Visible Attributes through Genomics — brought together several European centers led by Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Poland was represented by Jagiellonian University and the Central Forensic Laboratory of the Police in Warsaw.
“This is a big success for Poland,” said Ewelina Pośpiech, now a professor at the Pomeranian Medical University and previously at Jagiellonian University. “The tool is being tested and validated globally.”
The Polish team built the age-prediction models, which rely on DNA methylation — chemical tags that change in predictable patterns as people age. So-called “epigenetic clocks” first appeared in 2011 and have become more precise as more DNA markers are added.
Forensics demands simpler, robust panels that work with small or degraded samples, Pośpiech said. The models were therefore designed around a smaller, carefully chosen set of markers and integrated with standard forensic lab technologies.
The tool estimates age to within roughly three years, sometimes better, the team said. Five prediction models were created for different tissues — blood, semen, oral swabs, bone and cartilage — reflecting the varied material found at crime scenes.
VISAGE combines a laboratory workflow with software that converts methylation data into an age estimate. The system has passed standard forensic validation and is now undergoing population testing by external research groups ahead of potential deployment.
The consortium focused on stable markers that work across tissues, including ELOVL2, described as a strong biological indicator of age.
“It ticks with calendar time and is resistant to environmental influence,” Pośpiech said, adding that VISAGE has drawn high interest from both scientific and forensic communities.
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Source: PAP