Just Imaging Flow Cytometry_2019 NIJ R&D_108

Published: July 22, 2019, 11 a.m.

In episode ten of the 2019 R&D season, Just Science interviews Dr. Christopher Ehrhardt, professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, about a method for determining tissue type, age of evidence, and contributors from biological mixtures using cellular autofluorescence signatures.\nIt goes without saying that cells collected from different parts of the body look different. Buccal, vaginal, epidermal, and blood cells all have unique intrinsic properties. However, when they are combined, it can be difficult to discern what components are actually in the mixture. Using Imaging Flow Cytometry, Dr. Ehrhardt has found a way to differentiate between cell types, estimate cellular age, and identify contributors in the sample. Listen in as he discusses how autofluorescence data and cellular properties are being used to analyze samples without destroying the evidence in this episode of Just Science.\nThis season is funded by the National Institute of Justice\u2019s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.