Everyone who’s watched a police procedural knows that crime scene investigators can link the tiniest bits of organic evidence to a perpetrator though their DNA. A new technique could take DNA’s crime-fighting potential a quantum leap forward: by leveraging it to create a 3D model of the suspect’s face, researchers report in the journal Advanced Science.

Their computational tool, called Difface, looks for genetic differences between single letters of the genetic alphabet, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). It then clusters related data points into what the researchers call “3D facial point clouds” — essentially, sets of data points that represent the exterior surface of a face.

Facial Recognition From DNA

Researchers tested the method on a Han Chinese database with SNPs. They demonstrated that Difface could complete an accurate facial reconstruction based on DNA data. Adding information such as age, sex, and body mass index improved the quality of the 3D images.

“Amazingly, Difface could generate 3D facial images of individuals solely from their DNA data, projecting their appearance at various future ages,” Luonan Chen, researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an author of the paper, said in a press release.

Although the technique represents a large advance in using genetic technology, it’s not quite as big of a leap as it might at first seem. We already know that the shape of one’s face is determined by genes. We also know how to identify what characteristic — hair or eye color, for instance — a particular gene or set of genes will produce through a technique called DNA phenotyping.

Read More: Why We Are Fascinated With Serial Killers

Challenges Remain

Some challenges still remain before the technique is perfected, though. For instance, identifying different characteristics is harder in people who are more genetically similar.

“Validating Difface with datasets from multiple ethnic groups and exploring whether additional genetic loci are necessary for certain facial features will be key steps to ensuring that the model generalizes effectively across diverse populations,” according to the paper.

The biggest challenges are the legal and ethical, not technical ones, though. Potential issues include risks to one’s privacy as well as unauthorized data use for constructing various face models.

“By enabling the prediction of physical traits from genetic information, DNA phenotyping intensifies concerns about the misuse of sensitive personal data, which could lead to genetic-based discrimination and privacy infringements,” according to the paper.

Read More: The Evolution of DNA Forensics and Its Impact on Solving Crimes

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Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.