In complex criminal cases, disaster victim identification (DVI), and legal age assessment for asylum claimants, traditional DNA profiling methods often face significant challenges.
Investigations can stall when police lack crucial intelligence like a suspect’s estimated age. Similarly, age assessment for vulnerable asylum claimants still relies on invasive, radiation-based medical techniques like X-rays, raising ethical concerns. ForMAT addresses these critical gaps, transforming limited forensic DNA evidence into actionable investigative leads and providing non-invasive support for legal processes by analyzing DNA methylation’s unique molecular clues.
We’re moving beyond simple DNA profiling to analyze the “life experience markers” found in your DNA: a process called DNA methylation (DNAm).
These molecular clues reveal crucial characteristics about a person, even from trace amounts of DNA. ForMAT is pioneering advanced, non-invasive, and highly accurate tools to estimate age by the development of epigenetic clocks.
Our work builds on the strong foundation of the previous European VISAGE project, scaling up these tools from a validated laboratory concept (TRL 5) to being ready for routine implementation in police labs (TRL 7). This continuity ensures our technology is based on proven research and poised for real-world impact across Europe.
We provide innovative intelligence to police. Our DNAm kits estimate a suspect’s age and identify the tissue-of-origin from trace DNA at crime scenes, significantly narrowing suspect pools.
We provide innovative intelligence to police. Our DNAm kits estimate a suspect’s age and identify the tissue-of-origin from trace DNA at crime scenes, significantly narrowing suspect pools.
We expedite Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). The specialized DNAm DVI kit accurately estimates age from human remains (bone, cartilage, and muscle), acting as a crucial screening tool to bring closure to families faster in mass disasters and grave sites.
We expedite Disaster Victim Identification (DVI). The specialized DNAm DVI kit accurately estimates age from human remains (bone, cartilage, and muscle), acting as a crucial screening tool to bring closure to families faster in mass disasters and grave sites.
We offer ethical, accurate age assessment. Our DNAm legal age kit provides a high-accuracy, non-radiological alternative for assessing the legal age of asylum claimants, ensuring their rights are upheld without resorting to invasive X-rays.
We offer ethical, accurate age assessment. Our DNAm legal age kit provides a high-accuracy, non-radiological alternative for assessing the legal age of asylum claimants, ensuring their rights are upheld without resorting to invasive X-rays.
ForMAT Project Library: Publications, Deliverables, and Media
Welcome to the ForMAT knowledge hub. In line with our commitment to Open Science, this section offers free and public access to the research, results, and materials produced by the project. We encourage the forensic community, policymakers, and the public to use these resources to advance knowledge on DNA methylation, age estimation, and ethical perspectives.
This section contains formal, publicly approved reports that summarize our methods, findings, and strategic analyses.
All scientific publications resulting from ForMAT research are published via Open Access to ensure the immediate and free availability of knowledge for the global scientific community. We publish in top-tier forensic and genetic journals to ensure validation and reproducibility.
Visual and accessible materials designed for quick understanding, general outreach, and presentations.
Welcome to the central hub for all ForMAT progress. Here you will find official announcements, scientific breakthroughs, media mentions, conference participations, and project events as we advance the future of forensic sciences across Europe.
Note for the web designer: We will need to insert here Subscribe to Our Newsletter form. Fields to include: email, I agree to terms and conditions.
In May 2026, the ForMAT project took its work to one of Europe’s most respected forensic genetics forums. David Ballard from King’s College London represented
ForMAT
On 27 March 2026, the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Minho (ICS UMinho) hosted an Open Class. The goal was clear: to
ForMAT
On 7–8 April 2026, ForMAT attended a landmark event in The Hague. The project develops advanced DNA methylation toolsets for forensic science under the Horizon
ForMAT
This post is an English-language overview of an article originally published in French by Police-Scientifique.com on 18 March 2026. ForSpEC is one of the tools
ForMAT
We are excited to announce the official launch of the ForMAT project, following a successful kick-off meeting in the historic city of Santiago de Compostela.
ForMAT
We are excited to share that the ForMAT project was recently featured on Portuguese television. The segment highlighted how our research is set to transform
ForMAT
The ForMAT project is excited to announce a significant scientific breakthrough: the development of ForSpEC (Forensic Sperm Epigenetic Clock). This innovative tool offers forensic experts
ForMAT
We welcome inquiries, feedback, and collaboration opportunities from the forensic community, media, policymakers, and researchers.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
