The ability to accurately identify individuals through DNA analysis has revolutionized forensic investigations and led to improved outcomes in the criminal justice system. However, in addition to knowing the identity of an accused individual through their DNA profile, it is also important to know the source of their DNA as this may give context to what occurred at a crime scene. For example, the presence of a suspect’s DNA profile found in the home of a friend would likely be interpreted differently if it was obtained from a touched object, saliva or semen. Current tests for the three major forensic body fluids (blood, saliva and semen) are presumptive and therefore of limited scientific and consequently evidentiary value; currently there are no accepted tests for menstrual blood or vaginal fluid – body fluids important in investigations of sexual assaults. To establish scientifically sound, accurate, sensitive and confirmatory tests for these body fluids we have developed a tandem mass spectrometry method to identify multiple marker proteins in each body fluid with multiple peptides from each protein marker. Additionally, we are developing an informatics approach using the relative quantity of proteins in a sample to build predictive models for identifying body fluids and for deconvoluting body fluid mixtures. The goal of this work is to have a validated, confirmatory, forensic body fluid assay available for use in routine casework at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner.

Forensic body fluid identification by proteomic mass spectrometry

256th National Meeting (2018)

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