University at Albany

Prof. Igor Lednev with a portable Raman spectrometer – the device that he's creating would likely be similar in form

Science

Forensic tech quickly determines if bloodstains are human

When a car hits something crossing a dark road, it can occasionally be difficult for the driver to later say if it was a person or an animal – that, or they may just lie. A new blood-analyzing device, however, could tell the difference on the spot.

The intake of nicotine produces a tell-tale metabolite known as cotinine

Science

Forensic tech shows if samples come from smokers

When you're trying to establish who was present when a crime was committed, every little clue helps. That's where a newly repurposed forensic technique comes in, as it can determine if oral fluid comes from a smoker or non-smoker.

One of the prototype strips, with its telltale colored spot

Science

Sweat-test strips may be a better alternative to breathalyzers

Although breathalyzers have been used to check drivers' blood alcohol levels for decades now, the things do have their drawbacks. In the near future, however, police officers and others may get better results using a simple strip-type test kit.

Supercooled water could be used as a new type of dark matter detector

Physics

"Snowball chamber" would detect dark matter using supercooled water

Although dark matter makes up roughly 85 percent of all matter, it’s still never been directly detected. Now researchers from the State University of New York at Albany have developed a new dark matter detector using supercooled water.

Scientists have developed a technique that distinguishes between male and female fingerprints

Science

Chemistry reveals whether fingerprints came from a male or a female

A new fingerprint identification technology is promising to lighten the load for investigators, by using chemistry to determine whether prints belong to a male or female.