Body Fluid Identification and Classification

In the first installment of the 20230R&D Webinar Series, Dr. Sarah Seashols Williams from Virginia Commonwealth University, demonstrates the ability to classify body fluids using miRNA expression from DNA extracts with 92% accuracy, eliminating the need for RNA extraction, greatly reducing evidentiary sample consumption and processing time in forensic laboratories.

Additionally, Samriddha Dutta from the University of California, Riverside, presents her work on developing a chemiresistive nanobiosensor array with single-walled carbon nanotubes on paper, enabling on-site identification of body fluids (blood, semen, saliva, urine, sweat) via protein biomarkers. This innovative system, with its high sensitivity and minimal sample requirements, holds significant promise for advancing forensic science and investigations.

This webinar was hosted by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 9, 2023.