ANZFSS QLD Branch 2026 Early Career Researchers & Students Symposium

Join us for the ANZFSS QLD Branch 2026 Early Career Researchers & Students Symposium, a dedicated event showcasing the research and achievements of current students and early career researchers across the forensic sciences. Designed as a supportive and encouraging environment, the symposium provides an opportunity to present research, gain valuable presentation experience, and engage with members of the broader forensic science community.

Presenter Information

Jodie Harrington – An Automated Approach to Hydrogel-Based Latent Fingermark Development

The ability to visualise fingermarks on a variety of surfaces is an essential tool in forensic science and law enforcement. Porous substrates, such as paper, absorb the water-soluble (eccrine) components of fingerprints, thereby requiring an amino acid-targeting reagent for development. Operationally, 1,2-indanedione (IND) and zinc chloride are employed in a carrier solvent of HFE-7100 to produce fluorescent fingermarks. The manufacturer of HFE-7100, 3M, has now discontinued production of all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), making it nearly impossible to source. This necessitates the urgent identification of a suitable replacement method that addresses the recurring issue of solvent phase-outs.

A xanthan gum-based hydrogel delivery system has been shown to reveal fingermarks left on paper. The drawback of this approach is occasional blurring of ridge detail and streaking defects during manual application, which were linked to inconsistencies in gel structure and application pressure. In this work, the IND hydrogel application process has been automated using an automatic film applicator. The application of thinner gels with more uniform pressure reduced streaking in treated fingermarks and improved the clarity of ridge detail. Other features explored in this work include a heated vacuum bed that secures the substrate and rapidly dries the applied gels, further mitigating blurring. Overall, this work demonstrates that under certain circumstances, hydrogels offer a sustainable, PFAS-free alternative for fingermark development.

Xiaodan Liu – DNA Recovery from Worn Contact Lenses: Effects of Lens Material and Post-Removal Time

Contact lenses are routinely worn, discarded and occasionally lost, yet they are rarely utilised as a source of forensic biological evidence. Prolonged contact with the ocular surface provides an opportunity for wearer-derived epithelial cells and DNA to accumulate on the lens. This study assessed STR DNA recovery from worn contact lenses and examined whether recovery differed between lens materials and over 14 days following removal.

Hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses were examined at five post-removal time points: Day 0, Day 3, Day 7, Day 10 and Day 14. Each lens was sampled using a double-swab technique, after which the swabs and the lens were placed together in the same extraction tube and lysed to maximise DNA recovery. DNA profiles were generated using the PowerPlex® 21 System. DNA was quantified using Quantifiler™ Trio, while STR recovery was primarily assessed by the proportion of expected alleles detected and peak height. Preliminary STR results showed expected allele recovery ranging from 71.4% to 78.6% for hydrogel lenses and from 81.0% to 95.2% for silicone hydrogel lenses across the five post-removal time points. Although no complete profiles were obtained, partial STR profiles were recovered from both lens materials, including samples stored for 14 days after removal. No consistent time-dependent decline was apparent in the preliminary results. Silicone hydrogel lenses showed higher observed allele recovery than hydrogel lenses at the examined time points, although these findings remain preliminary and variation among replicate samples requires further evaluation.

These findings indicate that worn contact lenses can retain identifiable wearer-derived STR information for at least 14 days following removal. Contact lenses may therefore represent a useful source of trace biological evidence in forensic investigations.

Scarlet Hopkins – Development of an Improved, Cost-Effective Method for Visualising GSR on Dark Surfaces Using Defect-Passivated Perovskite Fluorescence

The detection of gunshot residue is one of the many essential applications of inorganic chemistry employed by forensic scientists to assist the criminal justice system. Inorganic gunshot residue particles originate from the primer mixture of the ammunition with lead styphnate being commonly used as an initiator. The visualisation of lead residues is a valuable investigative tool, enabling detection of bullet impact sites and the determination of shooting distance. Chromophoric reagents are applied to trace evidence and will react positively in the presence of the target compound by producing a colour change, enabling the trace to be visualised. They have an advantage over instrumental techniques by being cost-effective, efficient, accessible, and easy to apply. Sodium rhodizonate is a chromophoric reagent commonly used for the detection of lead in gunshot residue analysis, reacting with lead traces to form a red complex. However, this technique suffers from poor contrast on dark coloured surfaces, consequently requiring transfer of the gunshot residue to an alternative substrate that reduces the technique’s sensitivity.

Perovskite semiconductors have extensive applications in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photovoltaics, lasers, and the fabrication of solar cells due to their unique optoelectrical properties. Utilising the fluorescence of lead halide perovskites, gunshot residue traces can be visualised on dark coloured surfaces, simplifying evidence treatment and mitigating a loss of sensitivity in the transfer process. The application of lead halide perovskites to forensic science has been limited by the instability of organolead halide perovskites when exposed to external stimuli, such as moisture, air, and light, and the high cost of commercial reagents. This work showcases the application of low-cost perovskite reagents in improving gunshot residue visualisation with fluorescent lead detection and optimisation for use under ambient conditions, by assessing defect passivating reagents to improve their stability.

Nicole Roselt – Verification of the SERATEC® PMB Test for the differentiation of menstrual blood from peripheral blood: Specificity and Sensitivity in a forensic setting

Accurate identification of bodily fluids is critical in forensic investigations, with differentiation of menstrual from peripheral blood providing key insights into physiological versus traumatic bleeding. Menstrual blood is a complex mixture of blood, uterine tissue, vaginal secretions, and fibrinolytic products such as D-dimers, complicating forensic interpretation. Traditional analytical approaches, including mRNA profiling, are resource-intensive, highlighting the need for rapid, presumptive screening tools. The SERATEC® PMB Test is a lateral flow immunoassay designed to simultaneously detect human haemoglobin and D-dimer, enabling rapid (<10 min) differentiation of menstrual and peripheral blood. This study evaluated its sensitivity and specificity using serial dilutions of menstrual fluid applied to cotton swabs and fabric substrates, alongside a panel of forensically relevant biological and non-biological materials. Haemoglobin detection was consistent for peripheral blood, while D-dimer detection in menstrual fluid varied by donor, substrate, and collection method. Specificity testing showed minimal cross-reactivity, though neat venous blood occasionally produced D-dimer positives, and trace haemoglobin was observed in saliva, semen and vaginal secretions, emphasizing context-dependent interpretation. These results indicate that the SERATEC® PMB Test is a promising rapid presumptive tool for forensic screening, particularly in sexual assault investigations. Further research on postmortem blood, mixed fluids, aged samples, and diverse physiological and environmental conditions is required to fully validate its operational performance prior to routine forensic use.

Lauren Reid – Investigating Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) Sensors as a Presumptive Test for Simulant Nitazenes

Nitazenes are an emerging, highly potent class of illicit substances with increasing global concerns about their involvement in drug overdose fatalities. Currently, few presumptive tests are available to detect nitazenes in the field or in forensic laboratories. Therefore, this research aims to develop rapid, portable electrochemical sensors (Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP)) to detect simulant nitazenes in non-illicit sample matrices. To generate the MIP sensor, a mixture of the simulant nitazenes and 4-aminobenzoic acid (4-ABA) monomer was electropolymerised onto a multi-walled carbon nanotube-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (MWCNT/SPCE). Simulant nitazenes were subsequently detected by square-wave voltammetry (SWV) through the rebinding ability of the simulants to the MIP cavities. One key finding of this study is that the imidazole motif is electroactive. The MIP sensors indicated that the simulants could be detected electrochemically; however, the results suggest that adding electron-withdrawing groups, such as NO2, can cause electron-shuttling effects that alter SWV detection. Further selectivity testing was conducted on a simulant for metonitazene, in non-illicit matrices, indicating that the sensors responded with minimal interference. Therefore, the MIP sensors developed for simulant nitazenes show great potential as a portable, field-presumptive test for nitazenes.

Shiona Croft – Enhancing the Sexual Assault Response: Detection and characterisation of lubricants and condoms

Forensic investigation of sexual assault relies heavily on the recovery and interpretation of biological traces, particularly DNA. Where DNA is absent or insufficient, such as when a condom is used, condom and lubricant residues become critical forensic targets for evidentiary corroboration and event reconstruction. Condom use in sexual assault sits between roughly twelve and sixteen percent of reported cases, correlating with younger perpetrators and weapon use, and functioning as a deliberate strategy to defeat DNA detection or prevent pregnancy. This evidence type is not confined to condom cases; lubricant applied to facilitate the assault itself is a known and reported feature of these offences, widening the relevance of this work well beyond the stealthing context alone.

Queensland’s affirmative consent legislation, effective September 2024, explicitly criminalises non-consensual condom removal during an otherwise consensual act. Corroborating this offence depends on detecting assailant DNA and lubricant residue simultaneously, a direct driver for this project. This is not a Queensland-specific issue, with up to 32% of women and 19% of men reporting stealthing encounters.

A structured review of the lubricant forensics literature identified four persistent gaps. Current analytical approaches show limited discrimination between modern formulations, with GC-MS resolution stalled at class level for two decades. LC-HRMS approaches for non-volatile components remain functionally absent from published methodology. Reference datasets are dated or geographically limited, with the most cited Australian dataset now historical. Persistence, transfer, swab performance, and kit design have not been studied as a coordinated whole, and a 2025 systematic review confirmed forensic medical examination kits remain undesigned around lubricant chemistry.

These findings were corroborated through direct consultation with an internationally recognised expert. Each gap maps to this project’s aims, bringing advanced analytical chemistry together with the operational protocols that determine whether that chemistry is collected, preserved, and interpreted correctly.