Recently, DNA methylation has emerged as a pivotal tool in forensic genetics. Of the various applications proposed, age estimation emerged as the most advanced epigenetic intelligence tool for implementation in forensic laboratories, ensuring compliance with forensic and ethical standards across Europe. Epigenetic clocks, i.e. age prediction models based on DNA methylation, have been described, and the field is now at a stage where consensus biomarkers, subsequent industrial scalability, as well as implementation and application in forensic genetic laboratories should be pursued.

In this context, the EU-funded ForMAT project – Forensic Methylation Analysis Toolsets (grant agreement 101225631)1,2 has been recently launched (2025-2029). ForMAT is fully dedicated to the development, validation and implementation of epigenetic molecular tools, targeting a range of key forensic applications. First, by developing highly accurate epigenetic clocks tailored to specific age groups and leveraging the most cutting-edge sequencing technologies, we aim to provide age estimation tools to help solve cases for law enforcement agencies and legal systems. Next, to support open cases in police investigations, we will deliver advanced epigenetic clocks, in addition to models for prediction of tissue-of-origin and inference of lifestyles, designed to complement and augment existing DNA intelligence frameworks. Finally, to facilitate the identification of human remains in mass disaster scenarios, we will develop advanced tools for age prediction from diverse and often degraded biological materials typical of such contexts.

The ForMAT Consortium consists of 11 European institutions including academia, forensic laboratories and law enforcement agencies. ForMAT workplan is divided into a total of seven work packages: four technical, one administrative, one addressing ethical and societal issues, and one dedicated to communication and dissemination.

An overview of the project will be presented: ForMAT Consortium, roadmap, working packages, as well as the most relevant advances since it was launched in September last year.

Authors

• Ana Freire-Aradas (Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
• David Ballard (King’s Forensics, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College, London, United Kingdom)
• Denise Syndercombe Court (King’s Forensics, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College, London, United Kingdom)
• Catarina Xavier (i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto, Portugal)
• Nádia Pinto (i3S, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde da Universidade do Porto; IPATIMUP, Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto, Portugal)
• Walther Parson (Institute of Legal Medicine, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck; Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States, Austria)
• Antonia Heidegger (Institute of Legal Medicine, Medizinische Universität Innsbruck, Austria)
• Titia Sijen (Netherlands Forensic Institute, Department Human Biological Traces, Netherlands)
• Ewelina Pośpiech (Department of Genomics and Forensic Genetics, Pomenarian Medical University, Poland)
• Wojciech Branicki (Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonski University; Institute of Forensic Research in Kraków, Poland)
• Maja Sidstedt (National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Sweden)
• Johannes Hedman (National Forensic Centre, Swedish Police Authority, Sweden)
• Galina Kulstein (Kriminaltechnisches Institut, Bundeskriminalamt, Germany)
• Jens M Teodoridis (Kriminaltechnisches Institut, Bundeskriminalamt, Germany)
• Rafaela Granja (Instituto de Ciéncias Sociais, Universidade do Minho, Portugal)
• M. Victoria Lareu (Forensic Genetics Unit, Institute of Forensic Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain)

References

1. ForMAT Project. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101225631
2. ForMAT website. https://format-forensics.eu/

The study received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under Grant agreement no. 101225631. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA.