Fingerprint analysis traditionally refers to the process of comparing fingerprint patterns by an expert and/or an automated fingerprint identification system. Currently, the analysis ends with this matching methodology causing the field to be dependent on the presence of a stored matching print or a matching print from an individual that is physically present. Due to this limitation, a latent fingerprint may be judged to be too smudged or smeared to be of use. What is often overlooked is that those latent prints are created by sweat and sebum emulsions excreted by the fingertips. Those emulsions have their own unique chemical compositions for each individual making them possible biological samples for analysis. Our lab has developed a bioaffinity-based cascade for the determination of biological sexes from the chemical composition of the sweat/sebum left as the latent prints.<br/><br/>The research presented here addresses the current limitations in fingerprint analysis using a bioassay system that focuses on the components of fingerprints. Bioaffinity-based assays have been developed for the determination of biological sexes from those components. In one assay, L-amino acid oxidase was used to target the amino acids present in the sebum and sweat left on latent fingerprints. Further research has led to the testing of authentic fingerprint samples collected from various surfaces as well as the development of other bioaffinity-based assays capable of differentiating between biological sexes via less complex systems. Other bioaffinity-based assays will also be developed in the future for the determination of other physical attributes such as age group and ethnicity.

Biological sex determination via bioaffinity-based fingerprint analysis

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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