A new fingerprinting method could likely recognize the diet and sex of a presumed criminal, according to new research produced in the August edition of the journal Analytical Chemistry. The team, led by Professor Sergei Kazarian from Imperial College London's Department of Chemical Engineering, has invented a method which gathers fingerprints along with their chemical evidences and keep them intact for future reference. Chemical evidences have a few millionths of a gram of fluid and can be acquired on all fingerprints. Traditional fingerprinting strategies constantly distort or destroy essential chemical knowledge with no simple method of lifting residues for chemical imaging, until these day.

Imperial scientists ascertain that the use of gel tapes, commercial gelatine based tape, gives an easy technique for gathering and transportation of prints for chemical imaging inquiry. The prints, once lifted, are scrutinized in a spectroscopic microscope. The sample is irradiated with infrared rays to spot individual molecules within the print to produce a full chemical composition. The information is then processed by an infrared array detector, originally developed by the U.S. military in smart missile technology. The array detector chemically records the residue. This procedure produces a picture, or chemical photograph, and offers the most comprehensive information derived from a fingerprint.

"The collective operational advantages and benefits for forensic scientists of tape lifting prints and spectroscopic imaging certainly maximises the number of informations one can gain from fingerprints. Our experiments manifest that this technique could contribute an important role in the fight against felony," said Professor Kazarian. In many instances, this data is enough to establish vital evidences of a person through the fingerprint itself. It could likely recognize of substance a person came in contact with, for instance gunpowder, narcotics and biological or chemical weapons. Chemical traces could also feature particular traits in a person. A strong indication of urea, a chemical seen in urine, could imply a male. Weak evidences of urea in a chemical sample could imply a female. Particular amino acids could potentially reveal whether the suspect was a vegetarian or meat-eater.

Professor Kazarian ensure that this strategy could allow forensic scientists to observe how Fingerprints change in time and within distinct environments. "By focussing on what is left in a fingerprint after periods of time, scientists could potentially verify how old a crime scene is. Learning what happens to prints, when they are prolonged to high temperatures, is also important, particularly in arson cases where lifting prints has been very difficult," he said. Speculations regarding the possible upcoming importance of this method, Professor Sergei Kazarian said: "In the courtroom of the near future, chemical images could emerge as basic evidence. I hope our work aids law enforcement authorities to lead dangerous criminals to justice." For Toronto Fingerprinting, go to CanadianFingerprints.com.