Researchers can accurately tell someone’s age using AI and just a bit of DNA

At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, scientists created a new way to tell someone’s age using just a bit of DNA. This method uses a blood sample and a small part of your genetic code to give highly accurate results. It doesn’t rely on external features or medical history like other age tests often do. Even better, it stays accurate no matter your sex, weight, or smoking status.

Bracha Ochana and Daniel Nudelman led the team, guided by Professors Kaplan, Dor, and Shemer. They developed a tool called MAgeNet that uses artificial intelligence to study DNA methylation patterns. DNA methylation is a process that adds chemical tags to DNA as the body ages. By training deep learning networks on these patterns, they predicted age with just a 1.36-year error in people under 50.

Time leaves invisible fingerprints on your cells. One of the most telling signs of age in your body is DNA methylation—the addition of methyl groups (CH₃) to your DNA. These chemical tags don't change your genetic code, but they do affect how your genes behave. And over time, these tags build up in ways that mirror the passage of years.

What makes the new method so effective is its focus. Instead of analyzing thousands of areas in the genome, MAgeNet zeroes in on just two short genomic regions. This tight focus, combined with high-resolution scanning at the single-molecule level, allows the AI to read the methylation patterns like a molecular clock. Professor Kaplan explains it simply: “The passage of time leaves measurable marks on our DNA. Our model decodes those marks with astonishing precision.”

The study, recently published in Cell Reports, used blood samples from more than 300 healthy individuals. It also included data from a 10-year follow-up of the Jerusalem Perinatal Study, which tracks health information across lifetimes. That long-term data, led by Professor Hagit Hochner from the Faculty of Medicine, helped the team confirm that MAgeNet works not just in the short term but also across decades.

Importantly, the model’s accuracy held up no matter the person’s sex, body mass index, or smoking history—factors that often throw off similar tests. That consistency means the tool could be widely used in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

The medical uses are easy to imagine. Knowing someone’s true biological age can help doctors make better decisions about care, especially when signs of aging don't match the number of candles on a birthday cake. Personalized treatment plans could become more effective if based on what’s happening at the cellular level, not just what appears on a chart.

But this breakthrough also has major potential in the world of forensic science. Law enforcement teams could one day use this method to estimate the age of a suspect based solely on a few cells left behind. That’s a big step forward from current forensic DNA tools, which are good at identifying a person but struggle with age.

“This gives us a new window into how aging works at the cellular level,” says Professor Dor. “It’s a powerful example of what happens when biology meets AI.”

As they worked with the data, the researchers noticed something else: DNA doesn't just age randomly. Some changes happen in bursts. Others follow slow, steady patterns—almost like ticking clocks inside each cell. These new observations may help explain why people age differently, even when they’re the same age chronologically.

“It’s not just about knowing your age,” adds Professor Shemer. “It’s about understanding how your cells keep track of time, molecule by molecule.”

This could also impact the growing field of longevity research. Scientists are increasingly interested in how biological aging differs from the simple count of years lived. The ability to measure age so precisely from such a small DNA sample may become a key tool in developing future anti-aging therapies or drugs that slow down cellular wear and tear.

The method created by the Hebrew University team marks a turning point in how we think about aging, identity, and health. In the past, DNA told us who we are. Now it can tell us how old we truly are—and possibly how long we’ll stay healthy. The implications stretch from hospital rooms to courtrooms.

As the world faces rising healthcare demands from aging populations, tools like MAgeNet offer a smarter, faster way to assess risk, track longevity, and understand what aging really means. It’s no longer just a number on your ID.

Thanks to AI and a deep dive into the chemistry of life, age has become something you can measure with stunning accuracy, from the inside out.

Note: The article above provided above by The Brighter Side of News.

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