STTR Phase II: Body fluid identification for forensic purposes using Raman spectroscopy

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第二阶段项目有助于更广泛的社会和商业影响，使犯罪实验室能够更好地利用过度紧张的资源，确保只有相关的犯罪现场样本进行DNA分析。目前，提交检测的大量无关样本造成大量积压，堵塞了犯罪实验室的工作流程，并延误了向调查人员和检察官及时提供关键信息。这项技术将允许在犯罪现场实时识别体液，简化收集测试流程。DNA分析有很大的潜力引导调查人员找到嫌疑人。通过加快DNA分析过程，调查人员将更快地逮捕刑事犯罪分子，否则他们可能仍然可以自由地犯下其他罪行。DNA也有能力免除那些被错误地怀疑的嫌疑人，保护他们免受逮捕，审前拘留，刑事定罪以及被贴上罪犯标签的社会和经济后果等负担。该技术提供的关键数据将降低法院成本，同时提高调查速度，提高检测结果的准确性，改善法院结果，所有这些都有利于社会。该项目开发了进行无损体液识别的软件，确认特定体液类型的存在或不存在。许多犯罪现场都有生物污点，为调查人员提供了关键数据。然而，目前对这些污渍的检测能力不足。法医科学家经常在没有首先确定少量染色剂的性质的情况下进行DNA分析，导致对没有相关液体的样本进行不必要的DNA测试。该团队将使用专有算法，识别干扰基质上的痕量信号，并在不破坏证据的情况下确认样品的内容。之前的第一阶段工作建立了统计模型的可行性证明。第二阶段项目将开发一个功能齐全的软件工作原型，并在实验室间和现实世界中进行验证。第一代技术将与犯罪实验室使用的台式仪器相结合，而第二代技术将能够使用便携式仪器进行现场体液鉴定。最终，该技术将包括额外的功能，如生物染色的表型分析，包括确定捐赠者的性别和年龄。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project contributes to broader societal and commercial impacts by enabling crime labs to better utilize overstretched resources by ensuring only relevant crime scene samples undergo DNA analysis. Currently, the large number of irrelevant samples submitted for testing contributes to a massive backlog that clogs up crime lab workflows and delays the timely delivery of critical information to investigators and prosecutors. This technology will allow real-time identification of body fluids at the crime scene, streamlining the collection-testing pipeline. DNA analysis has great potential to lead investigators to suspects. By expediting the DNA analysis process, investigators will more quickly apprehend criminal offenders, who otherwise could remain free to commit other crimes. DNA also has the ability to exonerate suspects who have falsely fallen under suspicion, protecting them from experiencing such burdens as arrest, pre-trial detention, criminal conviction, and the social and economic consequences of being labeled a criminal. The critical data provided by this technology will lower court costs while increasing the speed of investigations, increasing the accuracy of testing results, and improving court outcomes, all to the benefit of society.This project develops software that performs nondestructive body fluid identification, confirming the presence or absence of specific body fluid types. Biological stains are present in many crime scenes and provide critical data to investigators. However, testing capabilities for these stains are currently insufficient. Forensic scientists often proceed to DNA analysis without first establishing the nature of the stain when small amounts are present, resulting in unnecessary DNA testing of samples with no relevant fluids. This team will work with a proprietary algorithm that recognizes trace signals on interfering substrates and confirms the contents of the sample without destroying the evidence. Previous Phase I efforts established proof-of-feasibility of the statistical model. This Phase II project will develop a fully functional working prototype of the software and validate it in both inter-laboratory and real-world settings. The first-generation technology will be integrated with benchtop instruments for applications in crime laboratories, while the second-generation technology will enable the use of portable instruments for on-site body fluid identification. Ultimately the technology will include additional features such as phenotypic analysis of biological stains, including the determination of sex and age of donor.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.