Race Differentiation Based on Raman Spectroscopy of Semen Traces for Forensic Purposes

Several novel methods to determine externally visible characteristics of body fluid donors have been developed in recent years. These tests can help forensic investigators make predictions about the appearance of a suspect or victim, such as their sex, race, hair color, or age. While their potential benefit is undeniable, these methods destroy the physical evidence in the process. Raman spectroscopy has recently been used as a nondestructive technique to test for many of these characteristics. Here, we present the results from a study to determine the race of semen donors. Using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis, we were able to build a statistical model that accurately identified the race of all 18 semen donors in the calibration data set, as well as seven additional external validation donors. These results demonstrate Raman spectroscopy's potential to differentiate Caucasian and Black semen donors using chemometrics.