How UCF’s National Center for Forensic Science Helps Solve Crimes

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 UCF'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 UCF. 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.

UCF'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.

"UCF 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.

UCF'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 UCF'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 UCF 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, UCF's nationally ranked Master of Science in Digital Forensics program is essential, preparing future professionals to follow the trail from evidence to justice.

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