DNA phenotyping

noun

: the process of predicting an organism's phenotype based on analysis of a DNA sample

especially : the process of predicting an unknown person's physical appearance and especially facial characteristics (such as eye, skin, or hair color) for forensic purposes (such as to identify criminal suspects or human remains)

While DNA phenotyping by Parabon NanoLabs resulted in a rough sketch of a potential suspect, no tips resulted from the composite.

—Jerry Falstrom

Examples of DNA phenotyping in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2012, the company received a grant from the US Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency to explore DNA phenotyping, predicting a person's appearance based only on their DNA. — Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for DNA phenotyping

• electrotyping
• stereotyping
• genotyping
• prototyping
• griping
• piping
• sniping
• striping
• swiping
• taiping
• typing
• wiping

Medical Definition

DNA phenotyping

noun

: the process of predicting an organism's phenotype based on analysis of a DNA sample

especially : the process of predicting an unknown person's physical appearance and especially facial characteristics (such as eye, skin, or hair color) for forensic purposes (such as to identify criminal suspects or human remains)

… one genetically identifiable as blue-eyed or blond-haired, may artificially change eye color or hair color by using contacts or hair dye, and thus change what DNA phenotyping would lead an observer to predict. Furthermore, most physical characteristics are not controlled by a single chromosome, but are influenced by multiple chromosomes working together …

—Charles E. MacLean, Hamline Law Review