Forensics

Forensic Breakthrough: Unique Hair Proteins are Better than DNA in Human Identification

DNA has met its rival (or partner) in identifying individuals in crime scenes. Scientists have discovered a new and better way in identifying someone through sequencing hair proteins.

According to a study published in the journal PLOS One, a team of scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has discovered a method of getting genetic information of a person from hair proteins. The said process eliminates forensic science's dependency on DNA extraction. This new method also helps cases where DNA evidence of a body is unavailable.

To test this method of using hair proteins in identification called "proteomics," the researchers studied 76 living men and women and six sets of skeletal remains from London which dates back to the 1700s and 1800s.

The results showed that of the participants and samples used in the study, there were 185 protein markers found in the subjects' hair samples. Also, the number and pattern of each participant were unique, The Washington Post reports.