Shedder status: Exploring means of determination

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Human Identification
• DNA Analysis

Background:

• Touch DNA analysis relies on categorizing individuals by their

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate reliable methods for determining and maintaining an individual's shedder status.
• To explore the interchangeability of different deposition and collection methods for shedder status assessment.

Main Methods:

• Categorizing participants into shedder classes using DNA quantity and profile quality from handprints.
• Assessing shedder status stability over three years.
• Comparing shedder categorization from handprints, other body areas, gloves, and after handwashing.

Main Results:

• Shedder categorization was consistently possible from handprints and remained stable over three years.
• Handwashing had minimal impact on shedder status.
• Shedder categorization was not reliably achieved from samples collected directly from hands, other body areas, or gloves after prolonged wear.

Conclusions:

• Handprints are a reliable source for determining stable shedder status.
• Current methods for collecting touch DNA from other body areas or gloves are less effective for shedder categorization.
• Further research is needed to refine shedder categorization methods, potentially using consecutive deposits, for applications like activity level assessments.