Date of Award
Spring 5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department/Program
Forensic Science
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Mechthild Prinz
Second Reader
Michelle Gordon O’Rourke
Third Advisor
Grace Axler-DiPerte
Abstract
This study evaluated the amount of detectable DNA accumulated on clean plastic fidget blasters, used to simulate firearms, over a seven-day storage period inside a vehicle. Twelve volunteers were asked to place one fidget blaster each in the glove box and underneath the driver’s seat from behind. After the seven-day period, the volunteers returned the fidget blasters, donated a reference sample, and filled out a questionnaire. The grip, slide, and trigger were swabbed for DNA and extracted. The extracts were quantified to determine the concentration of human DNA, and if the samples met the PCR threshold to be genotyped. The genotyped samples were assigned a profile quality to determine their interpretive value. The results show that 80.6% of samples did not pass the PCR threshold and only 19.4% proceeded to genotyping. Of the 14 genotyped samples, only five (7%) were suitable for comparison. The results indicate that only a small percentage of samples had background DNA, accumulated over a seven-day period, that reached the PCR threshold and could be interpreted. Further studies should cover longer periods of time and include metal firearms to see if the amount of background DNA increases, which could lead to more interpretable profiles.
Recommended Citation
Chan, Rachel, "Passive DNA Transfer to Fidget Blasters Stored in Cars" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/354
