Friday, 2nd November 2007 (2784 views)

A nanotechnology development project at the Asian Institute of Technology has utilised gold nanoparticles to enhance the process of forensic fingerprinting, according to the Nation.

The process could make it easier for forensic officials to trace criminals, particularly if fingerprints at the scene of the crime have faded.

A new substance, combining gold nanoparticles with nano-sized bioadhesive chitosan, interacts with lipid residue left behind by fingerprint marks and causes a reaction that makes them reappear.

The project has been developed with the support of the Nanotechnology Centre (Nanotec), part of the National Science and Technology Development Agency.

According to Wiwut Tanthapanichakoon, director of Nanotec, there are currently plans to make further developments to the technology.

"We plan to find suitable substances to combine with chitosan and gold nanoparticles to detect addictive drugs from fingerprint marks," he told the Nation.

In November 2003, researchers at the UK's University of Sunderland developed a dust made with sticky gold nanoparticles to enhance fingerprint recovery at crime scenes, according to the New Scientist.

 

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