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
 Development of SERS-active forensic evidence swabs for rapid, non-destructive confirmatory serological screening and STR typing of human bodily fluids
Award Information
Awardee
              Western Carolina University
Award #
              2015-NE-BX-K003
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Cullowhee, NC
Awardee County
              Jackson
Congressional District
              11
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2015
Total funding (to date)
              $346,740
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 15 Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2015, $346,740)
As submitted by the proposer: 

In a crime laboratory, evidentiary swabs that may potentially contain human bodily fluids are screened using both presumptive and confirmatory tests. These tests, such as the acid phosphatase (AP) test and the so-called Christmas tree stain for semen and the Kastle-Meyer and Takayama tests for blood, are quite time consuming, expensive, only test for one bodily fluid and are prone to both false positives and false negatives. Recent literature reports however, have indicated that Raman spectroscopy may have a far lower limit of detection than traditional methods and may allow investigators to perform one type of measurement for all body fluids, potentially leading to higher efficiency, more definitive results, and higher accuracy.   Another recent report utilized surfaced enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) as a means to decrease the limit of detection of certain forensic samples. SERS, in which an analyte is placed on or near a nanostructured metal surface, has the potential to increase the Raman cross-section of the analyte by many orders of magnitude.

Herein,  we  propose  to  develop  SERS-active  forensic  evidence  swabs  by  attaching  silver nanoparticles grown via the hydrogen reduction method to the fibers of commercially available swabs.  We will determine the synthetic protocol and measurement that maximizes the intensity of Raman signal of human biological fluids such as semen and vaginal fluid while simultaneously minimizing any possible negative effects the silver swabs may have on typical DNA extraction and quantification protocols. STR typing of semen and vaginal fluid samples collected on SERS- active swabs as well as those collected on pristine swabs will also be performed to determine the effect silver may have on the quality of data that is produced using protocols typical to forensic crime laboratories.  We will also explore the Raman limit of detection of human bodily fluids collected on swabs and determine the relationship between intensity of Raman signal and amount of recovered DNA. Using forensically relevant sampling scenarios, we will also develop sampling protocols that maximize the amount of evidentiary material being transferred to the SERS-active swab.  Finally, we will explore the ability of Raman measurements conducted using the SERS- active swabs to differentiate and possibly quantify the ratios of the mixtures of semen and vaginal fluid.

This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law.

ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Development of SERS-active Forensic Evidence Swabs for Rapid, Non-destructive Confirmatory Serological Screening and STR Typing of Human Bodily Fluids

  
Date Created: September 16, 2015
    
          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
        
                      Study of Factors Influencing Mass Spectral Data Comparison
                  Impact of Relic DNA on Forensic Microbiome Applications in Criminal Investigations
                  Developing and Validating Standards for Dental Cementum Age-at-Death and Season-of-Death Estimation
 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