LIsa Black
Cape Coral, FL
Female, 49
I spent the five happiest years of my life in a morgue. As a forensic scientist in the Cleveland coroner’s office I analyzed gunshot residue on hands and clothing, hairs, fibers, paint, glass, DNA, blood and many other forms of trace evidence, as well as crime scenes. Now I'm a certified latent print examiner and CSI for a police department in Florida. I also write a series of forensic suspense novels, turning the day job into fiction. My books have been translated into six languages.
I'm sure DNA analysts could determine male from female if we wished. Y-STR testing is used often when there's a mixture of male and female cells, because of course only male would have a Y chromosome. But I really couldn't give you details; I haven't done DNA testing in about 17 years. The two outside labs my agency has used in the past are: http://www.dnacenter.com and http://dnalabsinternational.com. Hope that helps!
Share Answer: 
I'm sorry, I have absolutely no idea what that is.
Share Answer: 
Wow, that's a really specific question. The answer is: you never know until you try. I don't have a lot of luck with plastic bags but my newer co-workers, who have a little more patience with fluorescent dyes than I do, often get good results. It doesn't matter to the fingerprint whether the purse was unattended or not and it doesn't matter how many people handled it, it matters how they handled it. As long as they picked it up by its very edge, they wouldn't harm anything. So it's perfectly possible to get a decent print off it, but I also would not be at all surprised if I didn't because, as I said, plastic bags are very hit-or-miss. Retrieving fingerprints is largely a matter of luck. That's why we never say never.
Share Answer: 
Well, time and a moist environment definitely don't help, but I'm afraid that's a question for a pathologist. Sorry I can't be more help.
Share Answer: 
Magician
What's the most amazing magic trick you've ever seen?
Basketball Referee
Ever get into a physical altercation with a crazed parent?
3D Games Developer/Programmer
How does 3D fool the human brain into seeing an extra dimension?
See the first Q&A about fingerprints for more info, but purses (fabric, vinyl, leather) are not good surfaces for prints so you might be out of luck. Is there anything on or in the purse that they had to have touched (not just knuckled or pushed aside, actually gripped) that is smooth and glossy? And that hasn't been touched a number of times since? That might be a possibility.
Share Answer: 
I'm sure I did. I actually don't have a good sense of smell, so it probably did get into my clothes and hair more than I realized. You keep smelling it yourself because it gets stuck on your nose hairs (according to popular wisdom) so a whiff comes back to you for a few hours afterward.
ME and Coroner's autopsy rooms are very clean, but that is not the same as being sterile. Except for items used to collect samples for DNA analysis, sterility is not really such a factor--you can't infect the patient. They do take steps to keep from infecting the staff, of course. No food or drinks in the autopsy room, using 'clean' pens and 'dirty' pens, gloves and aprons. I've never heard of anyone catching any loathsome diseases from working there.
Share Answer: 
Stay in school and take lots of science courses.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
