Race Differentiation Based on Raman Spectroscopy of Semen Traces for Forensic Purposes

• NCJ Number: 252350
• Author(s): Claire K. Muro, Igor K. Lednev
• Date Published: January 2017
• Length: 5 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: Raman spectroscopy for analyzing body fluid traces: Moving towards a practical forensic application; Further Development of Raman Spectroscopy for Body Fluid Investigation: Method Advancement and Validation

Annotation

This study examined whether Rama spectroscopy can be used to determine the race of semen donors.

Abstract

Several novel methods to determine externally visible characteristics of body fluid donors have been developed in recent years. These tests can help forensic investigators make predictions about the appearance of a suspect or victim, such as their sex, race, hair color, or age. Although their potential benefit is undeniable, these methods destroy the physical evidence in the process. Raman spectroscopy has recently been used as a nondestructive technique to test for many of these characteristics. Using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis, the current study built a statistical model that accurately identified the race of all 18 semen donors in the calibration data set, as well as seven additional external validation donors. These results demonstrate Raman spectroscopy’s potential to differentiate Caucasian and Black semen donors using chemometrics. 1 graphical abstract (Publisher abstract modified)