Understanding the Role of DNA in Identifying Missing Persons
When speaking with families of missing persons, one of the first questions SJAC often hears is, ‘Can you use DNA to find our missing loved ones?’ The simple answer is yes; SJAC is hoping to work with its partners at the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation to use DNA, along with other tools, to identify those who went missing during the period of ISIS control. While this work is primarily focused on identifying human remains exhumed in Northeast Syria, it is also vital to the search for those who are still alive.
However, many families assume that DNA is a silver bullet that will result in quick and easy identifications. Unfortunately, the reality is more complicated. DNA is just one tool in the identifications process, a process which will take many years to complete. Today, SJAC is seeking to dispel some misunderstandings about the role of DNA in investigations and how DNA analysis may one day help to identify the missing in Syria.
What is DNA?
DNA is the molecular blueprint for all living organisms. It is inherited from your parents and is your body’s internal code that determines many of your physical characteristics and is unique only to you. You share a significant portion of DNA with your parents, siblings, and children, slightly less DNA with your cousins, aunts, and uncles, and even less with people outside your family. Every cell in your body contains DNA which can be collected from various sources, including your hair, bones, blood, and saliva.
How can DNA help to identify a missing person?
Because you share portions of your DNA with your genetic relatives, a trained geneticist can compare your genetic profile with that of an unidentified person to determine whether you are biologically related.
For example, a family member can provide a genetic sample via a cheek swab, which collects epithelial cells from inside the mouth. A geneticist can then use this sample to obtain a genetic profile, which is compared to the genetic profile from an unidentified body (usually using a small piece of bone). The comparison is used to determine whether the two individuals are biologically related.
For now, SJAC is primarily focused on using DNA to identify human remains exhumed in formerly ISIS-controlled Syria. However, DNA can also be used to identify living persons. It can be particularly helpful in identifying young people who were kidnapped, displaced, or otherwise lost as children and do not remember their families of origin.
Can you bring a DNA machine to Syria?
There are some commercially available machines that can establish genetic profiles of living persons without a geneticist present. However, these machines lack the accuracy of DNA analysis conducted in a traditional lab and are unable to analyze skeletal samples. Moreover, establishing a genetic profile is just one aspect of DNA analysis. A geneticist is still needed to oversee the identification process. For this reason, when SJAC begins DNA analysis, samples will be sent out of the country to an accredited genetic laboratory.
Can you get a DNA sample from a body that has been burned or otherwise destroyed?
It depends. The only way to know whether a bone sample contains DNA is to test the sample in a laboratory. Even skeletons that appear well preserved may not contain DNA, perhaps because of sun damage, acidic soil, or other factors. Bodies that are badly burned may be less likely to contain DNA, but new techniques are being developed every year to improve the odds of obtaining genetic profiles from damaged samples.
Can you identify a body with only DNA?
While DNA is an important tool for identification, additional information is necessary to identify human remains. When analyzing DNA profiles, geneticists rely on information about a person’s ethnic background and the nature of the biological relationship between the missing person and their loved one to establish a match. Additional information collected from families and via forensic analysis of the remains, such as the person’s biological sex, height, and age, help to confirm the identification.
In some cases, a geneticist may not be able to establish a complete genetic profile from a bone sample, meaning they only have a partial understanding of the unidentified person’s DNA. In these cases, investigators will rely more heavily on non-genetic information to establish a match.
What is SJAC doing to pursue identifications now?
SJAC is currently working closely with FAFG and the SMFT to lay the groundwork for identifications, including DNA analysis. This includes conducting limited DNA analysis, so that the relevant teams can build the skills they need to begin this work at a larger scale. In the meantime, SJAC is focused on documenting missing persons and conducting contextual investigations.
Interviews with families of those who went missing in Syria during the period of ISIS control are vital to the search for the missing. Before identifications begin, SJAC needs in-depth information about who it is searching for and any unique physical characteristics that could aid in their identification.
Additionally, contextual investigations allow SJAC to understand the context around disappearances, prisons, and grave sites. This information has many benefits. First, through contextual investigations, SJAC can establish hypotheses about the identities of exhumed remains. If SJAC has a hypothesis, investigators can reach out to specific families for targeted DNA testing, saving resources and increasing the chances of a successful identification. Contextual investigations can also help investigators identify new grave sites and provide families with additional information on the fates of their loved ones.
How can I provide a DNA sample to SJAC?
SJAC and its partners have not begun collecting DNA reference samples yet, though we are hopeful that we can begin doing so soon. For now, we are working to collect information on missing persons from their families, laying the groundwork for identifications. If you would like to provide an interview, or learn more about our program, you can reach out at [email protected]or on our Facebook page.
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