麻豆原创

Tucked away in a quiet corner of Central Florida Research Park, a nondescript building might escape the notice of passersby. But for Jack Ballantyne and his team, it鈥檚 anything but ordinary.

Inside, groundbreaking forensic science is unfolding 鈥� work that has national implications for solving crimes, advancing justice and training the next generation of forensic experts.

Ballantyne is a chemistry professor and the interim director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS).

It鈥檚 a long title, but it鈥檚 fitting since he has worked in forensic science for decades.

In fact, Ballantyne has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biochemistry from the University of Glasgow, Scotland; a master鈥檚 in forensic science from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland; a doctoral degree in genetics from the State University of New York; and just a hint of Scottish brogue.

He leads a multidisciplinary team whose research touches everything from DNA analysis to chemical analysis of trace evidence. The building may blend into its surroundings, however, the science happening within it is anything but invisible.

Ballantyne鈥檚 resume goes far beyond his roles at 麻豆原创. He also works in the field of forensic molecular genetics. He has provided a slew of expert testimony in criminal courts, served as the chair of the New York State DNA subcommittee and is a regular invited guest at the FBI鈥檚 Scientific Working Group on DNA analysis.

鈥淚鈥檓 a forensic scientist of 46 years and still actively involved in all aspects of the forensic community,鈥� he says.

So, what exactly is forensic science?

It鈥檚 the application of scientific methods and techniques to aid in investigating crimes and analyzing evidence for use in legal proceedings. That includes crime scene investigations, DNA analysis that could identify individuals through genetic material, detecting poisons, analyzing data from electronic devices, preserving evidence like fingerprints, blood, hair and fiber, and identifying human remains.

麻豆原创鈥檚 undergraduate forensic science program was established in 1974, making it one of the oldest forensic science programs in the country. The National Center for Forensic Science followed in 1997.

鈥溌槎乖�创 decided to start a center for forensic science and initially concentrated on fire investigations, explosives and explosive analysis,鈥� Ballantyne says. 鈥淲e then expanded beyond fire and explosives and moved into digital evidence and DNA analysis. Now, we also have people working on sexual lubricants and a myriad of other chemical analysis and spectroscopic methods and statistical methods to evaluate evidentiary items.鈥�

That doesn鈥檛 mean research and academics are on the back burner. Ballantyne and his team of expert faculty teach on campus and conduct research in Central Florida Research Park.

麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Chemistry offers a bachelor鈥檚 degree in forensic science, a master鈥檚 degree in chemistry (forensic science track) a doctoral degree in chemistry and a forensic science concentration. That鈥檚 the academic side, plus most of the forensic faculty are affiliated with NCFS.

Ballantyne and his forensic faculty conduct research both independently and collaboratively, each with their own specialties:

• Jack Ballantyne
  Professor of chemistry
  Forensic biochemistry; forensic analysis of DNA, RNA, serology and other biological evidence; single cell analysis and advanced mixture deconvolution tools.
• Matthieu Baudelet
  Assistant professor of chemistry
  聽Identify commingled bones, glass, tires, pollen and other trace evidence.
• Candice Bridge
  Associate professor of chemistry
  Analysis of lubricants, gunshot residue, drugs/toxicology and other trace evidence.
• Erin Hanson
  Assistant professor of chemistry
  Forensic biochemistry; forensic analysis of DNA, RNA, serology and other biological evidence; analysis of challenging sexual assault samples and forensic investigative genetic genealogy.
• Larry Tang
  Professor of statistics and data science
  Forensic statistical analysis of forensic trace evidence
• Mary Williams
  Coordinator of research services
  Curates and maintains community databases used by forensic scientists worldwide, especially used to aid fire/arson investigations, including the Ignitable Liquids Reference Collection, International Database of Ignitable Liquids, Substrate and Thermal Properties Database.

The NCFS still offers courses in arson and explosives and continues to run databases that are used by crime labs to this day.

鈥淚 find purpose in my work by aiding forensic laboratories in their ability to provide evidence that won鈥檛 convict innocent people,鈥� says Mary Williams, coordinator of research services.

The forensic faculty are principally, but not only, concerned with criminal cases. The Ballantyne and Hanson research groups, for example, use techniques and technologies of biochemistry, molecular biology and genomics to help forensic scientists retrieve more information from biological traces transferred during the commission of a crime.

鈥淥ne example of this could determine whether it鈥檚 possible to distinguish between innocuous consensual social intercourse or criminal sexual intercourse,鈥� Ballantyne says. 鈥淏iomarkers that may pinpoint saliva, skin and vaginal secretions can be useful to distinguish these possibilities, which can sometimes require painstaking laboratory work.鈥�

Hanson works with challenging and late reported sexual assault evidence, as well as other types of physical assault evidence. She鈥檚 also a faculty member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Violence Against Women faculty cluster initiative and a volunteer for the Victim Service Center of Central Florida.

鈥淓very victim has the right to be heard, especially when they no longer can speak for themselves,鈥� Hanson says. 鈥淭hat conviction drives my research every single day. If even one case finds truth or justice because of my work, then I have done my job.鈥�

She continues: 鈥淐hallenging sexual or physical assault evidence involves a trace amount of biological material among an overwhelming amount of [the victim鈥檚] biological material. We鈥檙e essentially trying to find a needle in a haystack 鈥� those few cells that have been left behind by a perpetrator. We use advanced techniques like micromanipulation, which allow us to isolate and collect single cells from聽 these admixed samples. For sexual assault evidence, this could be a single sperm remaining in the sample or, in the case of digital penetration, a shed skin cell from the perpetrator鈥檚 finger. Standard methods would fail to detect these trace amounts of biological material. If any of the methods we work on can help solve one case, take one perpetrator off the streets or help exonerate one wrongfully convicted person, then it makes all the hard work worth it.鈥�

Others are just as dedicated.

鈥淩ecently, there鈥檚 been an increased interest in partnering with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE),鈥� Ballantyne says. 鈥淭his should be a very good relationship. There鈥檚 an impetus to partner with 麻豆原创 and FDLE 鈥� it鈥檚 our local lab after all, and we have multiple former and current students employed in FDLE laboratories.鈥�

Biological evidence can leverage human identification, which is used not only for criminal cases but also for unidentified human remains, accidents and disasters.

鈥淎nything we do must be useful at some point from the crime scene to the courtroom, which also means we need to ensure that sample integrity isn鈥檛 compromised by … issues at the scene or throughout the forensic analysis process,鈥� Ballantyne says. 鈥淚f a crime takes place, nowadays there will likely be a digital footprint somewhere 鈥� on a phone, computer or wherever it may be.鈥�

Recognizing the need for digital forensic experts, 麻豆原创鈥檚 nationally ranked Master of Science in Digital Forensics program is essential, preparing future professionals to follow the trail from evidence to justice.