Previewing A Forensic Science Symposium for Spectroscopists at Pittcon

In our Pittcon preview video, Igor Lednev of the University at Albany previewed two symposiums that he organized with the help of Greg Dutton and Juergen Popp (1). Both symposia cover application areas that are hot topics in the spectroscopic community: forensic science and artificial intelligence (AI). In this article, we share more insights into the forensic science symposium, highlighting the three main talks in the session and what attendees can expect to gain from attending.

Last year, Spectroscopy launched an online content series and published an e-book titled “The Future of Forensic Analysis,” which highlighted the various ways spectroscopy is impacting the forensic community. The rise of portable instrumentation has only made spectroscopy more valuable in this space, allowing analysts to conduct their work on site instead of transporting samples to an off-site laboratory, which comes with the risk of contamination (2).

Lednev talks about this symposium briefly in the below video. You can view our entire conversation with Lednev at the link below in reference (1).

The forensic analysis symposium, titled “NIJ - Innovations in Technology to Advance Forensic Science,” will take place on Monday, March 3^rd from 9:30 am to 11:40 am. This symposium will focus on how advancements in spectroscopy have been applied in forensic applications, and it is part of the proposed 8^th Annual National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Symposium (1).

There are three talks worth highlighting in this symposium. The first talk that kicks off the session, “Moving from Innovative R&D to Assay Production in a Regulated Environment/Establishing Quality Controls, System Suitability, & Statistical Measure of Assay Confidence using Likelihood Ratio Framework,” will be delivered from Erin Butler from the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (NYC OCME) (3). Butler’s talk will cover the quality metrics necessary for transitioning the NYC OCME proteomics mass spectrometry body fluid assay from research and development (R&D) to real-world forensic applications (3). It will also introduce a likelihood ratio framework to assess the statistical strength of body fluid identification using protein markers.

The second talk worth highlighting will take place from 10:00 am to 10:30 am. This talk, delivered by Jorge Yanez from the Universidad de Concepcion in Chile, is titled, “Identification of Ammunition Brands and Estimation of Shooting Distance through Spectroscopic Gunshot Residue (GSR) Analysis” (1). Yanez’s talk will explore using vibrational spectroscopy techniques such as photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR), and Raman combined with chemometric models to differentiate organic gunshot residue (OGSR) based on the ammunition manufacturer (1).

And finally, the third talk, which will be delivered by Mohamed Amin, a Postdoctoral Associate at the University at Albany, will explore emerging forensic techniques—Raman spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry—for accurately identifying bodily fluids on various substrates with high sensitivity and specificity (1). Additionally, this talk, titled, “Towards Direct Identification and Detection of Bodily Fluids on Common Substrates for Forensic Purposes” will address how advancements in machine learning (ML) have enhanced the estimation of the time since deposition (TSD), with the potential to improve crime scene reconstruction and forensic investigations (1).

A major focus at Pittcon this year is highlighting the latest technological advancements that are occurring in laboratory science. In this symposium, that focus takes center stage, and attendees can expect to learn more about the current spectroscopic instrumentation that is fueling growth in forensic science.

References

1. Wetzel, W. Shining a Spotlight on Spectroscopy: What to Expect at Pittcon 2025. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/shining-a-spotlight-on-spectroscopy-what-to-expect-at-pittcon-2025 (accessed 2025-02-20).
2. Wetzel, W. Portable Spectroscopy and Forensic Analysis: Trends and Emerging Technologies. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/portable-spectroscopy-and-forensic-analysis-trends-and-emerging-technologies (accessed 2025-02-20).
3. Pittcon, Technical Program. Lab Science Events. Available at: https://labscievents.pittcon.org/event/pittcon-2025/planning/UGxhbm5pbmdfMjQ1Mzc4Ng== (accessed 2025-02-20).