A new bullet-tagging technology that could help forensic teams fight against the crime has been developed in the UK. A breakthrough, invisible to the naked eye coating for cartridges transfer nanotech tags to gun offenders and thus improve the capture of the DNA evidence.

Those tags are really tiny – just 30 microns in diameter and they attach themselves to the hands or gloves of anyone handling the cartridge and are very difficult to wash off completely. But there is more to it. Most evidence is usually destroyed after a gun is fired, because of the heat generated but this coating has been designed to avoid such damaging and can also remain on the cartridge even after it has been fired. This should help forensic scientists and detectives to link the crime with the offender.

‘The tags primarily consist of naturally occurring pollen, a substance that evolution has provided with extraordinary adhesive properties,’ said Prof Paul Sermon from Surrey University, who led the research.
He added: ‘It has been given a unique chemical signature by coating it with titanium oxide, zirconia, silica or a mixture of other oxides. The precise composition of this coating can be varied subtly from one batch of cartridges to another, enabling a firm connection to be made between a particular fired cartridge and its user.’

Prof Paul Sermon also said, ‘We’re currently focusing on understanding the precise requirements of the police and cartridge manufacturers. But our work clearly could make a valuable contribution not only to solving gun crime but also to deterring criminals from resorting to the use of firearms in the first place.’

Can we agree with all that’s been said here? In my humble opinion, I don’t think anyone planning to commit a crime and get away with it would use those cartridges. Even if there was no way to get clean ones, one could probably use some chemicals to remove the coating. Still, we can only hope that not all criminals are that careful and that this breakthrough will prove useful.

-article from SceinceDaily rewritten and adapted by administrator-