 Press Release
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2008, 47, 10167–10170
doi: 10.1002/anie.200804348 Nr. 48/2008 Fluorescent GroovesFingerprints from the scene of the crime will soon reveal drug abuseContact: David A. Russell, University of East Anglia, Norwich (UK)
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Imaging of Latent Fingerprints through the Detection of Drugs and Metabolites In
order to arrest a culprit, police look for fingerprints at the scene of
the crime. Magnetic powder is applied to the surfaces of objects with a
magnetic brush to make these latent fingerprints visible. It may now be
possible to use latent fingerprints to detect the use of drugs as well.
As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, forensic scientists
would not even have to change the magnetic brush technique they have
used since the 1960s: British scientists at the University of East
Anglia in Norwich and King’s College in London have developed a process
based on magnetic particles and antibodies that causes fingerprints to
fluoresce if they were made by a drug user.
© Wiley-VCH
Components
of drug metabolites can be detected in sweat. “This also works for the
tiny amounts of sweat left behind in the characteristic pattern of
grooves and ridges of fingerprints left on the objects that were
touched,” explains David A. Russell. To do this, Russell and his team
used specially coated magnetic particles with antibodies attached. The
antibodies bind specifically to drug components or metabolites.
Fingerprints of volunteer test subjects from drug clinics were dusted
with this magnetic powder. The prints were then treated with a solution
containing an antibody bound to a fluorescing dye. This second antibody
binds to the first. If the fingerprint was made by a drug user, it
turned yellowish brown. Under visible light, these fingerprints glowed
green or red, depending on the fluorescent dye used.
By
using the corresponding specific antibodies, the scientists were able to
detect THC (the main active component of marijuana), benzoylecgonine (the
primary metabolite of cocaine), and methadone and the primary metabolite of
methadone in the fingerprints of test subjects. Variation of the
antibodies makes it possible to develop detection procedures for other
substances of interest.
The
characteristic pattern of the fingerprint is maintained. The
fingerprints are highly resolved and can be lifted for comparison with
known fingerprints, just as in the standard procedure. At higher
magnification it is even possible to see the tiny sweat pores along the
ridges of the fingertip, which can also be used for unambiguous
identification.
“The
advantage of this method is that potentially only simple, portable
equipment is needed, which can be brought along for a crime scene
investigation with no problem,” says Russell. “The magnetic particles
make it possible to remove excess reagent with the usual magnetic brush,
no complex washing procedures would be needed.”
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