In forensic serology, the analysis of any bodily fluids deposited at the scene of a violent crime can provide investigators with valuable information

The National Institute of Justice awarded a $431,907 Project Grant to the University of Mississippi under the National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program (CFDA 16.560). The grant will fund research from January 2023 through December 2026 to develop new methods for detecting blood at crime scenes. Specifically, the University of Mississippi will focus on improving current presumptive tests for blood beyond luminol, which faces limitations such as lengthy observation times for chemiluminescence. The goal aligns with the National Institute of Justice's objective to foster the creation of new tools that can help reduce crime and advance justice at state and local levels through developing, demonstrating, and evaluating relevant programs and practices.

Blood and semen are the most encountered, and serology labs utilize a variety of methods to detect the presence of each. Focusing on blood, luminol has long been the predominantly used presumptive test. Luminol, like all currently developed presumptive tests, works by undergoing chemiluminescence in the presence of hemoglobin. Despite its widespread use, the luminol test faces a number of challenges: 1) the length of time for viewing the chemiluminescence is