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Trace evidence

Prevalence, Persistence, and Probabilistic Study of Inorganic and Organic Gunshot Residue in Shooter and Non-Shooter Populations

September 2022

Welcome to our virtual poster session! The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) would like to highlight student research in the forensic sciences! The FTCoE is grateful for all the universities, faculty, and students who took the time to prepare poster presentations for submission to this year’s event. We recognize your hard work, and we are here to celebrate and learn from your research.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on September 22, 2022.

Forensic Analysis of Automobile Paint Layers on Plastic Substrates Using Chemical uFTIR

September 2022

Welcome to our virtual poster session! The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) would like to highlight student research in the forensic sciences! The FTCoE is grateful for all the universities, faculty, and students who took the time to prepare poster presentations for submission to this year’s event. We recognize your hard work, and we are here to celebrate and learn from your research.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on September 22, 2022.

Rapid and Effective Identification of Organic and Inorganic Gunshot Residues

November 2019

A team of researchers from West Virginia University’s Department Forensic and Investigative Science will discuss emerging methods for identification of organic and inorganic gunshot residues. Fast electrochemical, spectroscopic techniques, and LC/MS are presented as effective approaches to streamline gunshot residue investigations.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on November 20, 2019.

Intact Low Explosives Analysis with an Emphasis on Microscopical Methods

July 2020

This webinar discussed intact low explosives analysis with a focus on microscopical methods. It covered terminology for explosives, the rationale of low explosives analysis for most crime laboratories, six categories of low explosives, and examples of three analyses using microscopical methods.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on July 16, 2020.

Advancing Fire Scene Investigations Through Field Portable Technologies

April 2021

The focus of this project was the application and limitations of technology used for fire investigations. Today’s field-portable GC/MS) systems were found to provide lab-quality data for volatile hydrocarbons but the interpretation of that data proved challenging for field operators. Online access to lab experts is essential.  Evidence sampling is enhanced with the use of sensitive Photoionization Detectors (PID) as a supplement to canine searches.

This webinar was presented by the NIJ Forensic Technology Center of Excellence on April 6, 2021.