ArroGen Group, an integrated advanced forensic solutions company, will unveil its new Fingerprint Molecular Identification™ (FMID) technology Aug. 2-8 at the International Association for Identification's educational conference in Sacramento, Calif.
The FMID technology, a new category in forensic science, will enable law enforcement agents, district attorneys and government agencies to build a molecular profile of criminal suspects.
By analyzing chemical residues on fingerprints taken directly from a suspect or from fingerprints or other latent prints left at crime scenes, FMID can reveal a suspect's gender, use of tobacco, medicines and illicit drugs, and exposure to explosives.
"Fingerprint Molecular Identification will give investigators, prosecutors and government agencies a powerful new tool for human identification," said Michael Heffernan, chief executive officer of ArroGen. "This unprecedented technology will empower their investigations and intelligence-gathering with indisputable scientific evidence, saving time and money."
ArroGen's patented process uses surface-engineered, silica-based SupraNano™ powders to capture chemical residues on fingerprints and state-of-the-art mass spectrometry to analyze the residues.
FMID, a non-invasive process, can detect gender biomarkers, nicotine use by tobacco smokers, chewers or snuffers, and chemicals used in improvised explosives. It can also detect illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, temazepam, marijuana and ecstasy, as well as legitimate medicines.
FMID for nicotine and drug use will be commercially available in the fourth quarter of this year, and applications for gender and explosives will be available in the first quarter of 2016.
ArroGen representatives will display and discuss the FMID process from crime scene collection to analysis while demonstrating the company's unique FMID kits at booth 238 in the Sacramento Convention Center.
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About ArroGen Group
ArroGen LLC, headquartered in Greenville, N.C., and with operations in Oxfordshire and Newcastle, England, is a privately held company that provides advanced forensic solutions and consulting services to help law enforcement, attorneys, forensic laboratories, and state and federal government agencies fight crime and terrorism.
The company provides fast and accurate biological screening and DNA analysis at its state-of-the-art laboratory, accredited by ISO/IEC 17025, and is distinguished from other laboratories by its new human-identification technologies:
- Fingerprint Molecular Identification™ (FMID), which can analyze residues from latent fingerprints to determine a suspect's gender, nicotine status and exposure to explosives or drugs
- QSNP Forensic Informatics™, which can determine the individual DNA profiles of up to five contributors to mixed DNA samples
- SupraNano™ fingerprint powders, which produce images with higher contrast, better clarity and less background staining than traditional powders
- SupraNano™ suspensions, which allow development of latent fingerprints found on wet surfaces.