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

这个小型企业技术转移（STTR）二期项目通过确保只对相关的犯罪现场样本进行DNA分析，使犯罪实验室能够更好地利用过度紧张的资源，从而对社会和商业产生更广泛的影响。目前，大量不相关的样本提交检测，导致大量积压，阻碍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的时间。这项技术可以实时识别犯罪现场的体液，简化采集测试流程。DNA分析在引导调查人员找到嫌疑人方面具有很大的潜力。通过加快DNA分析过程，调查人员将更快地逮捕罪犯，否则他们可以继续自由地犯下其他罪行。DNA还有能力为被错误怀疑的嫌疑人开脱，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所带来的社会和经济后果等负担。这项技术提供的关键数据将降低法庭成本，同时提高调查速度，提高测试结果的准确性，改善法庭结果，所有这些都有利于社会。该项目开发的软件可以进行非破坏性体液识别，确认是否存在特定类型的体液。生物污渍存在于许多犯罪现场，并为调查人员提供关键数据。然而，目前对这些污渍的检测能力还不够。当存在少量污渍时，法医科学家通常在没有首先确定污渍性质的情况下进行DNA分析，导致对没有相关液体的样本进行不必要的DNA测试。该团队将使用一种专有算法来识别干扰基板上的痕迹信号，并在不破坏证据的情况下确认样品的内容。先前第一阶段的工作建立了统计模型的可行性证明。这个第二阶段的项目将开发一个功能齐全的软件原型，并在实验室和现实环境中进行验证。第一代技术将与台式仪器相结合，用于犯罪实验室，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，该技术将包括其他功能，如生物染色的表型分析，包括确定捐赠者的性别和年龄。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.