Collection of amino acids and DNA from fingerprints using hydrogels

Abstract

The amino acid profile obtained from a fingerprint may provide valuable information on its donor. For forensic scientists, recovering evidence relating to the amino acid profile of a suspect can potentially be valuable for identification and exclusion purposes. Herein we detail the use of cross-linkable solutions of dextran-methacrylate to form hydrogels capable of collecting amino acids from surfaces followed by extraction and quantification with UPLC-MS. This method allows for the amino acid profile analysis of fingerprints while allowing for their increased visualisation at a later stage using the standard method of cyanoacrylation. We will demonstrate this method to also be capable of collecting DNA from fingerprints with a 20–60% yield in comparison to using a conventional cotton swab.