What would you do if your house was burgled and you found few of your most favourite things stolen? You would call the police, file a report and wait for them to nab the thief. Kang Liang did the same thing when his house was burgled in 2014. But unfortunately police could not find any fingerprints. Common people like us would try to forget this as an unfortunate incident but Liang being a scientist didn’t.

He being a scientist at Australia’s top science body CSIRO, took this break-in as a personal project as he was surprised to find the police using the 100 year old technique of dusting to collect the fingerprints. And because surface in his home wasn’t good for dusting, they couldn’t find any finger prints. Liang took it as a challenge to find a new technique and working on this project, developed a technique that uses liquid containing tiny crystals to combine with fingerprint residue on a molecular level. Under a UV light, the crystal-infused prints show up immediately in a very bright, clear fashion that can be easily photographed and run through a database.

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In this technique, the crystals used in the liquid are the most important factors. The material is a new one called metal organic framework crystals (MOF). These MOF crystals bind to biological substances in the fingerprint viz. Proteins and fatty acids and then grow around the pattern of the print. In 10-20 seconds the fingerprints show up with fluorescence. Liang informed that in the lab the fingerprints stayed up for nearly three months. Though MOF crystals are also used for carbon capture and in healthcare, this is its first known application in forensics. Like any other technique this one also has its limitations. Currently, it only works on non-porous surfaces, so paper or clothes are not an option, but Liang said the team is working on it.

Other than the fingerprint technique, Liang and the CSIRO also found a use for MOF crystals in preserving vaccines or drugs without refrigeration. The MOF crystals bind around the vaccine’s molecules to protect it. Then when you want to use it, you can add a drop of bio-friendly solution to dissolve the crystals.

Liang now wants to talk to the police for further enhancement of this fingerprint technique. When it is the thieves and the robbers we are facing, the smarter we are the better!

Author:Technology Blog