A research assistant professor and a graduate student in Syracuse University’s Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute are the first people in the world to use a specific cancer research tool to extract evidence in sexual assault cases.

The DEPArray NxT, created by the Italian company Menarini Silicon Biosystems, is being used by this team to faster differentiate and identify sperm cells.

The Daily Orange spoke with Michael Marciano, research assistant professor and principal investigator of the Bioforensics Laboratory of FNNSI, and Kacey Christian, a graduate student at FNNSI, to discuss the usage of the DEPArray NxT.

The Daily Orange: How did the DEPArray NxT transition from primarily being used for cancer research to being used to examine biological evidence in sexual assault cases?

Michael Marciano: We are part of the initial push to get it out into the field. The scientists and business leaders at Menarini Silicon Biosystems saw the application here. Through working with themselves and me, we understand the issue that biological evidence in sexual assault cases can be very limiting.

If there is this instrument that can pick out a single circulating tumor cell among tens of thousands of normal cells, then why couldn’t we pick out sperm cells from epithelial cells?

The D.O.: How will this change how sexual assault evidence is used (or) handled?

M.M.: In forensics, everything takes time because we have the legal aspect here. But as the technology continues to get better, this gives (us) new opportunities to find evidence in cases where there wasn’t much evidence found.

This is going to be a game changer. The applications go on in terms of the sensitivity, to potentially pick out one cell then profile it.

Kacey Christian: I think this machine will be really helpful in terms of, if someone is a survivor of gang rape violence, it makes it easier to separate those sperm cells. This would make more accurate readings and results.

This shows that forensics as a field is getting more and more serious on these cases. It shows that people are devoted into seeking justice and truth.

FNSSI, here at Syracuse, is really spearheading that to change the world. Something like this is going to change the world and really impact survivors. As it stands, statistically victims of this sort of violence don’t go forward trying to pursue justice. They don’t feel they have a chance. This gives those survivors another weapon in their arsenal. This shows we are on their side and that we are there to help them.

The D.O.: What does this mean for sexual assault victims?

M.M.: It is another tool in the toolbox. It doesn’t get more heinous than sexual crimes, and this is another innovative tool that can be a game changer that will help provide closure to victims.

Forensic science is not the science of putting people in jail, it’s the science of uncovering the truth. It is making sure that the right suspects are in custody and that those who are innocent are proven to be so.

K.C.: It means that they have another source to back them in courts. For survivors, it means they have a chance to put the truth forward and prosecute the perpetrators.

For survivors, it means they have power in the situation and keep such a tragic scenario from happening to anyone else. It gives them and the families closure, it gives them the ability to have the truth and to show it to the world.

Published on February 7, 2018 at 8:48 pm

Contact Olivia: olcole@syr.edu