Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Differentiation Of Potential False Positives From Human Saliva Using Raman Spectroscopy For Forensic Purposes, Selina Casadei

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Traces of body fluids can be found at a crime scene. Being able to identify and differentiate the body fluids while preserving DNA is fundamentally important for forensic applications. Saliva is an important body fluid that can be found on bite marks, cigarette butts, and more, being an excellent source for DNA extraction. Current tests for saliva and other body fluids are destructive and body fluid specific, and are prone to false positives. Our laboratory has developed a universal method for identification of all main body fluids; saliva, semen, sweat, peripheral blood, and vaginal fluid, using Raman spectroscopy combined with …