Fingerprint Test

Scientists from the State University of New York at Albany have devised a simple fingerprint test that can help forensic scientists to determine the gender of a person. The technology is based on the levels of amino acids found in the sweat of a person. The level of amino acids in the sweat of women is two times more than that of men.

The report published in the journal ‘Analytical Chemistry’ clearly explains how researchers analysed fingerprints on a doorknob, laminated desktop, composite bench top and a computer screen. Scientists found out that irrespective of the surface type, it was possible to tell whether the fingerprint belonged to a woman or man on the basis of the residual amino acids.

Fingerprints have been used for more than a century to determine who was present at the crime scene. However recently, major improvements in software and databases have increased the pace of matching fingerprints. “The new technology would, however, require a larger sample to prove its accuracy”, said Jan Halamek, one of the study’s authors.