Identification and Analysis of Body Fluid Traces Using ATR FT-IR Spectroscopy

Biological evidence is extremely important to solving crimes. Most of the tests to determine whether a stain found at a crime scene is biological require chemical treatments that can destroy the sample. The proposed research seeks to develop a new method for nondestructive, inexpensive, rapid, and on-scene detection, identification and characterization of body fluid traces in a forensic context based on attenuated total reflection Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy. "Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law," and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). nca/ncf

It is often the case that evidence collected at a crime scene must be subjected to multiple analysis methods in order for the full picture of what the evidence shows to emerge. In an ideal situation, there would be unlimited amounts of a given piece of evidence, and this would allow the performance of all possible types of analyses, the results of which would provide a detailed composite of aspects of the crime and its circumstances. However, it is usually the case that the amount of a given form of evidence is very limited. In such instances, not all testing methods that are desired can be performed, and difficult decisions must be made about the forms of analysis to which the sample should be subjected in order to acquire data that are most definitive. This common occurrence fuels the continued development of technologies that can provide multiple forms of definitive information within a single experiment. Such methodologies would also streamline the analysis process and reduce the number of forms of analysis that must be performed on a single sample. This in turn would reduce the amount of evidence required for analysis.

The work proposed here would develop such a technique. The system would be capable of rapidly providing small-molecule spatial distribution maps of analyzed forensic evidence with minimal to no sample pre-treatment steps. For example, it would permit the mapping of components such as illicit drugs, “legal” mind-altering plant materials, or explosive materials in an individual’s fingerprints, while maintaining the image of the print. Since the observed print contains both the image of the chemical material to which the criminal has been exposed, and the image of the compounds normally detected by conventional fingerprint development methods, it would provide a direct connection between an individual and other material related to the crime. The technique proposed here would detect alterations made to questioned documents by mapping the spatial distributions of molecules unique to different pen inks (for example). Furthermore, it would enable detection of both inorganics and organics in gunshot residues through performance of a single experiment.

The approach involves the integration of a direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source, a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer, and a laser ablation system which would be operated in open air and optimized for the rapid, routine and facile detection of the spatial distributions of small-molecules in a wide variety of forensic samples.

"Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law," and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14). NCA/NCF

The Graduate Research Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (GRF-STEM) provides awards to accredited academic institutions to support graduate research leading to doctoral degrees in topic areas that are relevant to ensuring public safety, preventing and controlling crime, and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of criminal justice in the United States. Applicant academic institutions sponsoring doctoral students are eligible to apply only if the doctoral student's degree program is a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline; and the student's proposed dissertation research has demonstrable implications for addressing the challenges of crime and/or the fair and impartial administration of criminal justice in the United States. Awards are anticipated to be made to successful applicant institutions in the form of grants to cover fellowships for the sponsored doctoral students. Although the initial award is only for 1 year of funding, each fellowship potentially provides up to 3 years of support usable over a 5-year period, pending NIJ review of continued enrollment and adequate progress. For each year of support, NIJ provides the degree-granting institution a stipend of $35,000 usable toward the student's salary and related costs, and up to $15,000 to cover the student's tuition and fees, research expenses, and related costs.