ECU researchers develop new tool in forensic intelligence gathering

Researchers have developed a new method for human identification, which could be a powerful new tool for forensic investigations.

Edith Cowan University (ECU) PhD students Rebecca Tidy and Romy Keane, who are also Chemists at Western Australia’s premier chemical science facility ChemCentre, are lead authors of the article Proteomic genotyping for individual human identification: Inferring SNPs in the absence of DNA evidence.

Ms Tidy and Ms Keane are an integral part of the multi-partner research collaboration led by ChemCentre’s Forensic Proteomics Research Group who, along with Professor Glendon Parker of University of California Davis, are using protein-based analysis (proteomics) to examine proteins in a single hair strand to create a unique profile for each person.

“What we are developing is a new forensic workflow for human identification using hair recovered from crime scenes,” Ms Tidy explained. “This novel technique is referred to as proteomic genotyping and relies on the detection of genetically variant peptides in single hair strands to infer genetic information that can then be used for individual identification.”

Typically, forensic scientists use DNA testing to identify people from biological evidence such as blood, hair or skin cells.

While DNA-based methods are still the well-established standard for human identification, Ms Tidy said proteomic genotyping could be used when DNA evidence is not available.

“DNA can break down over time or when exposed to harsh conditions, and forensic investigations can be limited when DNA evidence is unavailable or degraded,” she said.

“This is not intended to replace current DNA-based methods which is recognised as the gold standard – this new method is a complementary technique in scenarios where DNA is not recovered from a scene, or it is too degraded to be of use.”

Ms Keane said proteins often survive longer than DNA, making it a game-changer for cold cases.

“Structural proteins persist much longer than DNA in challenging environments, remaining detectable in tissues long after DNA has become too fragmented for analysis,” Ms Keane said. “Hair is always recovered from a crime scene because it is so prevalent, but historically it has been underutilised due to the limitations of microscopy techniques.

“Being able to go back and look at the hair samples for unresolved cold cases - as well as situations like disaster victim identification where you’re not necessarily going to get DNA - could make an impact on unresolved casework and highlights the importance of what we are looking at.”

Dr Joel Gummer, Manager of Research and Innovation within ChemCentre’s Forensic Science Laboratory, Adjunct Senior Lecturer in ECU’s School of Science and lead of the Proteomics research team said the findings are a major step forward.

“We’ve found that in the absence of DNA, proteins can be used as a substitute,” Dr Gummer said. “Proteins have a sequence, and that sequence is intimately connected to the genome of an individual.

“This process provides reliable evidence and a powerful new tool for investigations.

“While the study has been extensive, there will be more testing and validation before being used in criminal cases. However, the technology is very promising and could one day be presented in court similarly to how DNA is, potentially transforming forensic science.”

The project was recently announced the winner of the Western Australian Government Innovator of the Year, at the 2025 Innovators of the Year Awards.

The research has been published in Forensic Science International.