2026-10-13T18:31:39Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34027362 2026-09-30T01:02:44Z category_24448 portal_12 item_type_5 month_year_09_2026

Olivia Martin: CRISPR, a Heat Block and a Piece of Paper Olivia Martin (20809451) Forensic biology Body Fluid Identification CRISPR Paper-based Tests Forensics Biosensors <p dir="ltr">In a sexual assault investigation, identifying which body fluid — blood, saliva, semen, vaginal fluid — is present in a stain helps reconstruct what happened. In casework, stains are often invisible, mixed, or of unknown origin, so a useful test must screen for several fluids at once. Current methods force a trade-off. Rapid chemical tests are cheap and work at the scene, but unreliable: they react to non-target substances such as plant compounds and cleaning products, and each identifies only one fluid. More accurate methods detect RNA markers that are highly expressed in a single fluid and can test several fluids simultaneously, but need expensive laboratory equipment and take 1–2 days. Two recent technologies close this gap. The first amplifies RNA into millions of readable copies at a single temperature in a heat block. The second uses CRISPR purely as a detector: it recognises a target sequence and, once triggered, generates a glowing signal. Together they identify a body fluid without specialised instruments. This project builds a multiplex assay — screening several fluids in one run — then adapts it onto a paper chip. The goal is a device that takes a raw sample straight to a visible, multi-fluid result at a crime scene.</p> 2026-09-30T01:02:44Z Image Poster 10.17608/k6.auckland.34027362.v2 https://figshare.com/articles/poster/CRISPR_a_Heat_Block_and_a_Piece_of_Paper/34027362 CC BY 4.0