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A mass spectrometry-based forensic toolbox for imaging and detecting biological fluid evidence in finger marks and fingernail scrapings

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Abstract

During a crime, biological material such as blood or vaginal fluid may become smeared on the fingers of the victim or suspect or trapped under their fingernails. The type of trapped fluid is extremely valuable forensic information. Furthermore, if either person touches an object at the crime scene with their ‘contaminated’ finger then a ‘contaminated’ finger mark may be deposited. Such marks have great value as they could identify not only who deposited the mark but also who they touched and which part of the body they touched. Here, we describe preliminary work towards a ‘toolbox’ of techniques based on mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of biological fluid traces under fingernails or the imaging of them in finger marks. Liquid chromatography-multidimensional MS was effective for the detection of protein biomarkers characteristic of vaginal fluid and blood trapped under fingernails, even after hands had been washed. In regard to examination of finger marks for the presence of biological fluids, the most practical implementation of any technique is to integrate it with, but after, routine crime scene finger mark enhancement has been applied. Here, we demonstrate the usage of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight-MS for the detection and mapping of proteins and peptides from body fluids in finger marks, including marks enhanced using aluminium-containing magnetic powder and then ‘lifted’ with adhesive tape. Hitherto, only small molecules have been detected in enhanced, lifted marks. In a novel development, aluminium in the enhancement powder assisted ionization of small molecules in finger marks to the extent that conventional matrix was not required for MS.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Ross Vining Research Fund, which is administered by Forensic Science SA. The authors would like to acknowledge Flinders Analytical and the Proteomics Centre at Flinders University. Finally, we wish to thank the volunteers who provided fingerprints and body fluid samples and Dr. Ian Hough and Cleland Wildlife Sanctuary for the provision of animal blood samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Flinders University, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia

    Sathisha Kamanna & K. Paul Kirkbride

  2. Forensic Science SA, Forensic Science Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia

    Julianne Henry

  3. Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    Nicolas H. Voelcker

  4. Flinders University, School of Biological Sciences, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001, Australia

    Adrian Linacre

Authors
  1. Sathisha Kamanna
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  2. Julianne Henry
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  3. Nicolas H. Voelcker
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  4. Adrian Linacre
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  5. K. Paul Kirkbride
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Paul Kirkbride.

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Kamanna, S., Henry, J., Voelcker, N.H. et al. A mass spectrometry-based forensic toolbox for imaging and detecting biological fluid evidence in finger marks and fingernail scrapings. Int J Legal Med 131, 1413–1422 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1587-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-017-1587-5

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