Indelible textiles

You may think the purpose of DNA profiling is to prove guilt or innocence or test for paternity, but London-based designer Iona Inglesby has found a way to use it to make art.

Human beings share 99.9 percent of the same DNA. It’s that 0.1 percent that distinguishes each person from the other 8 billion people on the planet and indicates an individual’s relationship to others. With DNA testing, that genetic data can be identified. Inglesby’s company, Dot One, creates personalized print patterns that are turned into posters and scarves using people’s DNA mapping.

It works like this: A person takes a cheek swab using a home DNA kit and sends the sample to a lab for DNA profiling. Dot One takes the results and uses an algorithm to convert the raw genetic data into color and pattern, forming a very personal print.

Families can commission family tree designs that illuminate the flow of data from one generation to the next. The print can be turned into a family tartan, evoking the traditional Scottish tartans that signify different clans. Dot One aims to educate its clients about their genetic makeup; each product comes with an illustrated introductory guide to genetics and DNA profiling.