U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Funding & Awards
 Biometrics from the Isotopic Analysis of Amino Acids in Human Hair
Award Information
Awardee
              West Virginia University Research Corporation
Award #
              2013-DN-BX-K007
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Morgantown, WV
Congressional District
              1
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2013
Total funding (to date)
              $283,464
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 13 Basic Scientific Research to Support Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2013, $283,464)
Instrumental methods of analysis can provide elemental, proteomic and isotopic information about human hair samples, which, because of their objectivity, scientific foundation, and statistical nature, offer many advantages over forensic hair microscopy. The criminal justice system could benefit greatly from an objective instrumental method of analysis that could
provide investigative leads about a suspect from a questioned hair sample. Such investigative leads could include a suspects age, sex, race, region-of-origin, genetic disorders, and disease state(s) or body mass index, among other traits. The technique of isotope ratio mass spectrometry
(IRMS)which is already in use in many government forensic laboratories and has passed Daubert standards for admissibility in court on many occasionshas the potential to offer this solution. Here, we propose to collect and analyze hair samples from a cohort of >150 subjects across the US along with a detailed questionnaire from each participant about his or her physical
traits, genetic disorders, diet, lifestyle, exercise and hair treatments. After washing and drying each hair sample, we will first collect bulk isotope ratio measurements for 13C/12C, 15N/14N, and 34S/32S. We will then pulverize the hair, perform acid hydrolysis, then measure the 13C/12C isotope ratios of at least 14 amino acids via liquid chromatography (LC)-IRMS. We will then use
statistical analyses to evaluate and classify participants into selected groups based on the information from the questionnaires. Statistical techniques such as canonical discriminant
analysis (CDA) have the ability to overlook the covariance of amino acid isotope ratios caused by different dietary habits between individuals and highlight the selective differences caused by the grouping factor(s). We have already shown this capability to be true for a cohort of 20 female subjects, wherein we were able to predict a subjects body mass index and age from their hair with accuracies exceeding 93% (based on original discriminant rules). Finally, we will use the analysis results to identify amino acids in hair that are specific markers for certain group classifications and thus point directly to physiological and biochemical reasons for the
classifications. Unlike bulk isotope ratio approaches, our compound-specific approach has the potential to go beyond region-of-origin or geospatial movements of individuals to the provision of physical and characteristic traits about the individuals.
This project has the ability to provide significant advances in the scientific understanding of factors that influence the isotopic composition of amino acids in human hair. This basic understanding can benefit the criminal justice system by offering a scientific, biochemical basis for the comparison of human hairs and for the provision of investigative leads for suspects. Although the primary intended benefit of this research project is for the criminal justice system, the methods and results of this work has broader impacts that could directly benefit other fields
of study such as archaeological applicationsinvolving human ancestral habits/traits, ecological applicationsinvolving migration and dietary habits, and disease diagnosis and health monitoring.
ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis of Human Hair: Predicting Behaviors and Biometrics beyond Dietary Factors
                  Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry in Forensic Science Applications
                  Using Isotopes in Human Hair to Reveal Personal Characteristics for Forensic Investigations
                  Characterization of the Spectral Accuracy of an Orbitrap Mass Analyzer Using Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry
                  Biometrics From the Isotopic Analysis of Amino Acids in Human Hair
                  Forensic Mass Spectrometry
                  Amino Acid Composition of Human Scalp Hair as a Biometric Classifier and Investigative Lead
                  Biometrics From the Carbon Isotope Ratio Analysis of Amino Acids in Human Hair
                  Global spatial distributions of nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios of modern human hair
                  Profiling Amino Acids of Jordanian Scalp Hair as a Tool for Diabetes Mellitus Diagnosis: A Pilot Study
                  Quantitation of Amino Acids in Human Hair by Trimethylsilyl Derivatization Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

  
Date Created: September 8, 2013
    
          Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              Current Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Forthcoming Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Expired Funding
    
      
            
            
            
      Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
    
      
            
            
            
      Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
    
      
            
            
            
      Fellowship & Student Programs
    
      
            
            
            
      Travel Scholarships
    
      
            
            
            
      NIJ Challenge ProgramSimilar Awards
        
                      Internal Affairs Complaint Investigations: A Multi-Site Comparison
                  Nanoparticle-Decorated Micropillars As Integrated Raman Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry Substrates for Quantitative and High-Throughput Toxicology Drug Analysis
                  Impact of Relic DNA on Forensic Microbiome Applications in Criminal Investigations
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov