National Center for Forensic Science Archives | �鶹ӳ��ý News

�鶹ӳ��ý Researchers Create the “Fantastic Four” Chemical Standards for Forensic Science

Sultana Ali — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:07:50 +0000

Forensic science is a field that’s drawn more attention in recent years, thanks to the onset of true crime podcasts and the increase of television shows and films focused on the topic. A survey by Edison Research last year reported that 84% of the U.S. population ages 13 and up are “true crime consumers,” listening or watching these types of stories.

�鶹ӳ��ý’s College of Sciences and its National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS) are at the heart of the real science behind the real-life cases, along with the larger field that goes beyond criminal justice.

Why This Research Matters

Now, thanks to the work of �鶹ӳ��ý researchers, the field of forensic science around the world is receiving a massive boost of knowledge through the release of the “fantastic four” chemical standards; the four, hard biomaterials — nails, hair, bones and teeth — that provide a consistent and critical reference point for forensic anthropology and toxicology work.

“The creation of these standards is important because every aspect — especially in toxicology — is helpful to quantify data when looking at these biomaterials in the field,” says Matthieu Baudelet, an associate professor of chemistry at �鶹ӳ��ý affiliated with NCFS. “You have a sample you want to mimic and now there is a reference with these ‘fantastic four’ that you can use for analysis. We can help crime labs around the world to be more precise, avoiding wrong decisions when looking at evidence.”

Baudelet undertook the work of creating these standards in 2018 because he says it was a complex puzzle to solve and the work was necessary for improvements in forensic science.

“At the time, no one was working on this and we dared to find the answer and fill this scientific need in the field,” Baudelet says. “Forensic science is important today because there is always a need for answering questions on a number of topics. In our case, the research revolves around anthropology and toxicology. In forensic anthropology, work is often about solving crimes, but there’s also work in parallel to repatriate fallen soldiers from previous wars.”

Baudelet says that the new chemical standards will open doors to solve issues in toxicology or biomedical applications; for instance, the burgeoning market for hair analysis, which needs these standards.

Chemistry doctoral student Kristen Livingston (left), principal investigator and Associate Professor of Chemistry Matthieu Baudelet (center), and chemistry doctoral student Kaitlyn Bonilla ’20 ’24MS (right) at the lab at the National Center for Forensic Science where they work on laser ablation-based analytical methods. (Photo by Antoine Hart)

How Laser Technology Is Shaping Forensic Science

Baudelet has led the development of these new standards through his work at NCFS. His background is in physics, optics and spectroscopy, and he’s found that interdisciplinary collaboration has helped move the field forward.

“Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) are widely accepted techniques for direct sampling of biological materials for elemental analysis, with increasing applications being reported over the recent years,” according to a study by Baudelet and his former postdoctoral scholar, Mauro Martinez, that was published in Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.

LIBS is an analytical and versatile technique that utilizes a high-energy laser pulse to generate a plasma, which emits light, on the surface of a sample to help identify the elemental composition of the material. These laser-based techniques have provided opportunities for two doctoral students working alongside Baudelet on these standards to see better results.

“The portability of LIBS makes it useful worldwide,” says Kristen Livingston, who graduates this fall with her doctoral degree in chemistry. “I’ve traveled with the portable laser instrument to Romania and Hawaii and had the opportunity to work with bones and other skeletal remains in a variety of environments. The new standards and technology have the potential to make a global impact.”

Details about the new references have been published in Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy and the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry.

The “fantastic four” chemical standards provide portable, useful references for labs to conduct forensic anthropology of biomaterials found in the field and support forensic toxicology. They were developed by the �鶹ӳ��ý research team at the National Center for Forensic Science.

“Having a reference material is important because you can compare new measurements to a known measurement, which facilitates a reliable outcome, especially in forensic science,” Livingston says. “You need trustworthy and reliable data to compare new measurements back to a known measurement.”

Applying Science to Justice

Kaitlyn Bonilla ’20 ’24MS, a chemistry alum and doctoral student graduating this fall, has worked on developing the chemical standard for hair samples. Her passion for forensic science began in high school watching one of her favorite television shows, Law & Order.

“A lot of people learn about forensics through TV shows and I was no different,” Bonilla says. “I wanted to be the next Olivia Benson [an NYPD officer from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit]. I initially wanted to be a detective. I was interested in science and math and after taking a forensics class in high school, I thought, why don’t I apply science to the law?”

As an undergraduate student at �鶹ӳ��ý, she took a course in microscopy and learned about hair as a biologic material in forensic science.

“Hair as a matrix is so interesting because it provides a chronological record with its growth,” Bonilla says. “As hair grows, information grows along a hair strand. Using lasers, we can see that record of information. It’s been exciting to learn more about it.”

Bonilla says she is the first scientist in her family, and her studies have been supported through a National Institute of Justice fellowship, one of only eight �鶹ӳ��ý students selected since the fellowship’s inception in 2000.

“Thanks to this NIJ fellowship, I have been able to attend conferences and share my work, as well as conduct my studies in toxicology analysis,” Bonilla says.

Decoding Bones Through Chemistry

Baudelet’s other graduate student working on the “fantastic four” chemical standards is Kristen Livingston, who was similarly interested in forensic science watching it on TV.

“I watched NCIS and admired Abby [a chief forensic scientist] on the show,” says Livingston. “I appreciated the work that happened on those shows and how it made an impact on the community and in the justice system.”

She says that her interest in forensic science intersected with her English class during her senior year in high school.

“We had to write a paper about a topic we were passionate about and I wrote about The Innocence Project and how DNA is used to exonerate innocent individuals from prison sentences,” Livingston says. “These sentences may have resulted from improper forensic practices, so I wanted to improve the field of forensic science.”

She says the work she’s doing is important because applying chemistry to forensic anthropology provides another level of information about bones.

“Typically, forensic anthropologists study the physical bone — the shape or morphology — and they can get answers from the bones themselves. But chemically, there’s another world of information,” says Livingston. “Bones are an important matrix to study; if you think about tissues left behind when individuals die, bones last the longest. They can give you a lot of information about the individual they belonged to.”

Livingston says she’s not the first chemist in my family; her father inspired her as well.

“My father worked in the field of nuclear chemistry and I grew up seeing his passion and love for this process,” says Livingston. “Being able to have these conversations with him about my research and being able to bond with him over his love for chemistry, has meant a lot to me.”

Funder Information
This project was supported by Award No. AWD00005982, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.

Researcher Credentials
Matthieu Baudelet joined �鶹ӳ��ý’s Department of Chemistry and the National Center for Forensic Science in 2015. His work focuses on developing lased-based spectroscopic techniques for forensic applications, including the analysis of tire skid marks, pollen, and anthropological remains. He also leads efforts to create matrix-matched biomaterial standards for LIBS and LA-ICP-MS to improve quantitative analysis in forensic and biomedical research. Originally from France, Baudelet earned his Ph.D. in Laser and Spectroscopy from the University of Lyon.

How �鶹ӳ��ý’s National Center for Forensic Science Helps Solve Crimes

Mark Schlueb — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:03:43 +0000

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’s anything but ordinary.

Inside, groundbreaking forensic science is unfolding — 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 �鶹ӳ��ý’s National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS).

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

In fact, Ballantyne has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Glasgow, Scotland; a master’s 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’s resume goes far beyond his roles at �鶹ӳ��ý. 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’s Scientific Working Group on DNA analysis.

“I’m a forensic scientist of 46 years and still actively involved in all aspects of the forensic community,” he says.

So, what exactly is forensic science?

It’s 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.

�鶹ӳ��ý’s 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.

“�鶹ӳ��ý decided to start a center for forensic science and initially concentrated on fire investigations, explosives and explosive analysis,” Ballantyne says. “We 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.”

That doesn’t 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.

�鶹ӳ��ý’s Department of Chemistry offers a bachelor’s degree in forensic science, a master’s degree in chemistry (forensic science track) a doctoral degree in chemistry and a forensic science concentration. That’s 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
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.

“I find purpose in my work by aiding forensic laboratories in their ability to provide evidence that won’t convict innocent people,” 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.

“One example of this could determine whether it’s possible to distinguish between innocuous consensual social intercourse or criminal sexual intercourse,” Ballantyne says. “Biomarkers that may pinpoint saliva, skin and vaginal secretions can be useful to distinguish these possibilities, which can sometimes require painstaking laboratory work.”

Hanson works with challenging and late reported sexual assault evidence, as well as other types of physical assault evidence. She’s also a faculty member of �鶹ӳ��ý’s Violence Against Women faculty cluster initiative and a volunteer for the Victim Service Center of Central Florida.

“Every victim has the right to be heard, especially when they no longer can speak for themselves,” Hanson says. “That 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.”

She continues: “Challenging sexual or physical assault evidence involves a trace amount of biological material among an overwhelming amount of [the victim’s] biological material. We’re essentially trying to find a needle in a haystack – 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 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’s 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.”

Others are just as dedicated.

“Recently, there’s been an increased interest in partnering with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE),” Ballantyne says. “This should be a very good relationship. There’s an impetus to partner with �鶹ӳ��ý and FDLE — it’s our local lab after all, and we have multiple former and current students employed in FDLE laboratories.”

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

“Anything 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’t compromised by … issues at the scene or throughout the forensic analysis process,” Ballantyne says. “If a crime takes place, nowadays there will likely be a digital footprint somewhere — on a phone, computer or wherever it may be.”

Recognizing the need for digital forensic experts, �鶹ӳ��ý’s nationally ranked Master of Science in Digital Forensics program is essential, preparing future professionals to follow the trail from evidence to justice.

National Center for Forensic Science Archives | �鶹ӳ����ý News

�鶹ӳ����ý Researchers Create the “Fantastic Four” Chemical Standards for Forensic Science