Forens-OMICS on body fluids for TSD estimation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
"Forens-OMICS" on Human Biological Fluids for Time Since Deposition Estimation in Forensic Contexts.
IRAS ID
354690
Contact name
Noemi Procopio
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Central Lancashire
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
When investigating a crime scene, one of the most crucial questions is: how long has that evidence been there? This study aims to answer that by determining the Time since Deposition (TsD) of body fluids—like blood, saliva, and semen—using cutting-edge scientific techniques.
Current forensic methods can identify who a biological sample belongs to but often can’t say when it was left. This project, called “Forens-OMICS”, uses powerful molecular biology approaches—known as omics—to study how biomolecules in body fluids degrade over time after being deposited at a scene. These biomolecules include proteins, lipids, RNA, metabolites, and bacterial DNA.
Researchers will collect body fluids from 20 healthy volunteers, as well as semen samples from a commercial source. These fluids will be placed on glass slides and stored in controlled laboratory conditions for up to two months. At set time points, the samples will be analysed using advanced instruments to detect the molecular changes that occur as the fluids “age.”
The aim is to identify patterns in how different molecules degrade over time and use this information to build accurate, machine learning-based models that can estimate how long a stain has been present. The project also tests special swabs developed by Copan Italia S.P.A. that can collect multiple types of biological data from a single sample—something that could be very useful for real-world forensic work.
Ultimately, this study will help police and forensic scientists better link biological traces to criminal events by providing a reliable method to estimate when those traces were left behind. This could significantly improve timelines in criminal investigations.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/0694
Date of REC Opinion
16 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion