forensics
Your fingerprint © FreeImages.com/qute
can reveal whether you’re male or female Researchers from the University at Albany (UAlbany) are taking crime scene investigation to a new level with the discovery that our fingerprints can be used to identify whether the print belongs to a male or a female.
W
riting in the journal Analytical
First, Halámek’s team extracted amino acids
assay, coupled with a specially designed
Chemistry, the researchers explained that
from a fingerprint by transferring it onto a piece
extraction protocol, for determining gender
fingerprint identification over the past 100 years
of plastic wrap. A hydrochloric acid solution was
rather than focusing solely on the physical
or so has relied mainly on pictorial comparisons.
placed onto the fingerprint, followed by heating.
image,” the researchers wrote.
“Despite developments to software systems in
This process allowed for the water-soluble amino
According to Halámek, this is only the
order to increase the probability and speed of
acids to migrate into the acidic solution. From
beginning. He’s currently in the process of
identification, there has been limited success in the
there, the team could easily view amino acid
developing additional identification methods for
efforts that have been made to move away from the
levels, distinguishing sex.
other forensically relevant attributes, as well as
discipline’s absolute dependence on the existence
The team first tested their method on
of a prerecorded matching fingerprint,” they wrote.
‘mimicked fingerprint samples’, which they
“One of the main goals for this project was
The UAlbany research team, led by Assistant
found to be 99% accurate in correct sex
to move toward looking at the chemical content
Chemistry Professor Jan Halámek, took a different
classification. From there, they set up a real crime
within the fingerprint, as opposed to relying
approach, instead looking at the content present in
scene scenario. Three female volunteers placed
on simply the fingerprint image,” Halámek
the sweat left by fingerprints — namely, the amino
their fingerprints on five different surfaces,
said. “We do not intend to compete with DNA
acids. They relied on the fact that amino acid levels
including a doorknob and a computer screen.
analysis or the databases used for identification.
in the sweat of females are about twice as high as in
Regardless of the surface type, Halámek’s team
Instead we are aiming at differentiating between
males. There’s also a slightly different distribution,
found it was possible to tell the fingerprint
demographic groups, and more importantly, we
due mostly to hormonal differences. They therefore
belonged to a woman.
are aiming at making use of fingerprints that
sought to test whether the same was true true for amino acids left behind in fingerprints.
24 | LAB+LIFE SCIENTIST - January 2016
“We were able to focus on the biochemical content in the fingerprint using a biocatalytic
improving on the current fingerprint concept.
are smudged/distorted or that don’t have an existing match.”
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