Browsing: Research & Publications

Forensic dramas on TV make it seem easy to determine when fingerprints were left at the scene of a crime. In reality, the oils in fingerprints degrade over time, and it’s difficult to figure out their age. Now, researchers reporting a small-scale study in ACS Central Science have discovered molecular markers for changes to these oils over a seven-day time period — information that could be used to estimate fingerprints’ ages more accurately.

In the first large-scale study of the relationship between dating apps and sexual assault, researchers find violent sexual predators use dating apps to target vulnerable victims.

A new vaccine has been developed that targets the dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl that could block its ability to enter the brain, thus eliminating the drug’s “high.”

Researchers have compared speaker identification by listeners (like judges or jury members) with the output of a forensic-voice-comparison system.

For the first time, Flinders University forensic science researchers have examined the presence and transfer of human DNA on pets such as cats and dogs.

The research – conducted with The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), New Zealand – analyses the retention of methamphetamine residues on different surfaces.

Study examines the impact of CT scans on workflow and tallies the cost savings of postmortem CT in lieu of full autopsy.

Researchers have found the development of the frontal sinus was affected more by sexual dimorphism than the ancestry of the individual and that it was the interplay between those two factors that produced the most significant variation.

Overdoses in rural and urban areas will spike, finds new study that gives geographic breakdown

Researchers have developed an artificial ‘nose’ that can identify individuals from their breath. Built with a 16-channel sensor array that can detect different compounds found in a person’s breath, the olfactory sensor system has the potential to become another option in the biometric security toolkit. Combined with machine learning, the ‘artificial nose’ was able to authenticate up to 20 individuals with an average accuracy of more than 97%.

Scientists have published the first complete, gapless sequence of a human genome, two decades after the Human Genome Project produced the first draft human genome sequence. According to researchers, having a complete, gap-free sequence of the roughly 3 billion bases (or “letters”) in our DNA is critical for understanding the full spectrum of human genomic variation and for understanding the genetic contributions to certain diseases. The work was done by the Telomere to Telomere (T2T) consortium, which included leadership from researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health; University of California, Santa…

Skin cells and their DNA varies between individuals, but new data shows that some groups of people have higher variability in their cell deposits. The South Australian forensic science researchers are building a suite of new insights into crime scene investigation — including the difference between high, intermediate and low skin ‘shedders’ that will help understanding of trace or ‘touch DNA’. The latest research, ‘DNA deposited in whole thumbprints’ (just published in Forensic Science International: Genetics), further studies inter-variation of DNA shedding obtained from experiments on samples gathered from 10 different people and 30 of their thumbprints.“The first challenge at…

Blow flies could serve as an innovative tool in detecting chemical warfare agents and other dangerous substances in hazardous areas. Learn how these insects can help make chemical detection safer.

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing has enabled millions of individuals to determine their ancestry and gain insights about their genetic pre-disposition to inherited diseases. While individual genotyping information is stored securely, some people consent to share their genomic data for further study.

Criminal investigators use physiological changes and insect development to determine how long a body has been dead, but scientists are using the trillions of microbes involved in human decomposition to find more accurate postmortem intervals.

Experts have developed a unique method for retrieving high resolution images of fingermarks from curved objects like bullet casings that offers greater detail and accuracy than traditional forensic methods.

Scientists have found the smoking gun in forensic lightning pathology that will help develop life-saving knowledge to address the lethal effects of the increasing number and severity of thunderstorms and lightning strikes due to global climate change. New research by scientists from South Africa and the UK could help forensic teams understand whether people or animals were the victims of fatal lightning strikes, based solely upon an analysis of their skeletons. Their study is published in the journal Forensic Science International: Synergy. Climate change is increasing and there is evidence to suggest the incidence and severity of thunderstorms and lightning strikes…

New research by SFU archaeologists could help forensic teams in their work to estimate the age of the remains of children discovered during archaeological work or in criminal investigative cases.

A smartphone sensor, much like what is used in GPS systems, might be a way to determine whether or not someone is intoxicated after consuming marijuana, according to a new study by the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. According to the study, published in peer-reviewed jornal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, which evaluated the feasibility of using smartphone sensor data (from a smartphone’s GPS, accelerometer, and other sensors) in combination wih time features (tracking the time of day and day of week) to identify episodes of cannabis intoxication in the natural environment, researchers had up to a 90%…

Security systems rely on detailed images of hands to ensure permissions and access to private information and spaces. So while hands can definitely be used for identification purposes, evidential images of hands pre-, during and post-crime are never of the quality used for infrared imaging on security systems. Evidence is often captured in uncontrolled situations, making it difficult to analyze. Still, researchers from Lancaster University (UK) argue there is a strong need to investigate the potential for identification from digital images of the hand, especially in cases of sexual assault where hand information may be the only biometric available for…