Two scientists from the University at Albany teamed up with a forensic entomologist from John Jay College to develop a rapid chemical analysis of the blow fly eggs found on bodies to more quickly determine their time-of-death.
Blow flies are often the first to arrive and lay eggs on a dead body, but it typically takes investigators days to determine the species of the insects, which develop at different rates. Figuring out the species helps forensic teams figure out when death occurred. The researchers’ new process takes only three minutes to analyze the blow fly eggs, speeding analysis and decreasing costs.
The scientists were able to collaborate using NYSERNet’s R&E network.
Read more here: http://www.albany.edu/news/80107.php