The grim but revolutionary technology changing how we respond to mass disasters

After hundreds went missing following Maui’s deadly wildfires last August, rapid DNA analysis helped identify victims within just a few hours. In this edition of What’s Next in Tech, discover the story of one family’s frantic search for its patriarch following the blaze, and learn how this new technology gave them the closure they deserved much more quickly than ever before.?

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Small boxes, about the size of a microwave, can now rapidly process DNA—and are revolutionizing the way investigators identify victims of mass-casualty disasters.

When devastating wildfires swept through Maui in August 2023, Raven Imperial’s family was separated for days. After some 72 hours, they all found their way back to one another … except for the patriarch of the family, Rafael.

His family and friends spent a frantic month searching for “Uncle Raffy,” as he was known to locals on the island—following dead-end lead after dead-end lead. When his family eventually submitted a DNA sample, a new kind of rapid DNA analysis quickly confirmed what they had feared: Rafael had died in the blaze.

In the past, identifying victims of mass casualty events has been a long and tedious process. Families have often had to wait weeks, if not months, to confirm the loss of a loved one. And historically, DNA testing has been the longest, most challenging process of all—potentially taking years to make a positive identification. For instance, victims from 9/11 are still being identified by DNA. Until very recently, it was basically impossible to do this kind of analysis for hundreds of human remains.

But new rapid DNA analysis is now changing the field. The grim yet revolutionary technology is allowing investigators to positively identify victims in a matter of hours.

This technology allowed Raven and his family to gain the closure they deserved more quickly than they would have before. But unfortunately, it’s also a preview of how we’ll live in a future marked by increasingly frequent and catastrophic mass-casualty disasters.?

Read the story to learn more about how the technology works and discover the Imperials’ devastating journey to locate Rafael.

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Image: AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson