Burning Hair Helps Fight Crime

Jun-03-14 A new method of quickly determining a person's race and gender from a hair sample could give law enforcement a new tool when investigating crimes.

The technique, developed at Queen's University, is faster than DNA analysis—requiring only 85 seconds to complete—and has shown a 100 percent success rate. The process requires that the hair be ground and burned, producing a vapor that is then analyzed to determine the race and gender of the individual.

Although blood samples are often used to help identify people, hair is much more stable and less likely to be contaminated. Additionally, the hair sample could also help determine the individual's diet, environment and working conditions—adding more information to the report.

Large Image: Grinding hair samples for analysis.

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[GIZMAG.COM]

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