Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Raman Spectroscopy For Forensic Identification Of Body Fluid Traces: Method Validation For Potential False Negatives Caused By Blood-Affecting Diseases, Niara Nichols

Chemistry

Two critical issues in forensic science are identifying body fluid traces found at crime scenes and preserving them for DNA analysis. However, the majority of current biochemical tests for body fluid identification, which are applicable at the crime scene, are presumptive and destructive to the sample. Raman Spectroscopy provides a suitable alternative to current methods as a nondestructive, confirmatory, and potentially in field method. Our laboratory has developed a chemometric model for the identification of five main body fluids using Raman spectroscopy. This model was developed using samples obtained from healthy donors. Thus, it is of most importance for the …