Chemistry & Biochemistry Colloquium

Beyond DNA: Expanding the Forensic Toolkit Through Sexual Lubricant Analysis The guest speaker for the October 21st Chemistry & Biochemistry Colloquium and Sullivan Lecture will be Prof. Candice Bridge. Dr. Bridge as an Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator-Forensic Science Track in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Central Florida. Professor Bridge's research focuses on analysis of trace evidence forensic materials to understand their unique chemical features. Abstract: Sexual assaults are an unfortunate reality in modern society, which includes situations in which the assailant is known or unknown. While DNA is the go‐to forensic evidence in sexual assault cases, the reality is that the use of condoms in sexual assaults is increasing, to minimize the type of DNA left at the crime scene, specifically sperm/semen. Therefore, in the absence of DNA, it is necessary to identify other types of forensic evidence (such as lubricants) that could be used in these types of cases to link the three points in the criminal triangle, e.g., victim, suspect, and crime scene. This talk will discuss current efforts that we are conducting to understand the evidentiary value of lubricant evidence and appropriate analytical methods to analyze and characterize unknown samples collected in a sexual assault or physical assault cases, including degradation modeling. Additionally, how this research lead making an impact in a real-world sexual abuse case in the United Kingdom..