Articles Published by NIJ

The substances tested in cases involving seized drugs are always evolving. By establishing policies on the most critical samples to test and maintaining ongoing communication with stakeholders, laboratories can more efficiently manage a backlog.

Analyzing illicit drugs such as methamphetamine is difficult because the drugs break down when heated in gas chromatographs. Investigators determined that a new method can avoid the heat issue and improve results.

The technique used to pinpoint mineral deposits, hyperspectral imaging, could be used to find humans, both dead and alive. An NIJ-funded researcher realized that the technology could use drones with sensors to cover large areas and find human bodies.

The forensic power of DNA is clear, but biological evidence also contains RNA, another potential source of information. Because RNA decomposes quickly, its utility is considered limited. Could this decomposition provide information about a sample’s age?

Missing persons cases are overwhelming — not just for families, but for communities as a whole. When someone goes missing and is never found, families lack closure. The impact of the loss can spread through the whole community.

Humans transfer trace signatures of unique colonies of microbes on our skin to objects we touch. The tiny size of that signature make it difficult for investigators to identify an individual. Research now has made that identification more likely.