Pollen-coated bullet could make its mark on criminals

[Pat McCotter]

Pollen-coated bullet could make its mark on criminals
18:21 01 August 2008
NewScientist.com news service
Barbara Axt

Pollen and grit are the components of a new coating for gun cartridges that UK researchers hope will help to identify criminals that use firearms.

Under their scheme, batches of cartridges would be labelled with unique "nanotags", invisible to naked eye, designed to attach themselves to hands, gloves and clothing of anyone that handles a cartridge. Some of the tags would remain on the spent cartridge casing.

The tags could perform a similar, but more authoritative role to the specks of unintended explosives residue sometimes used to tie people to guns or crimes.

The nanotags are made from pollen, and a mix of grains of crystal oxides such as zirconia, silica and titanium oxide. Using varying combinations of crystal and pollen grains, it is possible to make large numbers of unique tags.

"We decided to work with pollens because they have a unique structure, resistant to temperature and easily recognisable," said Paul Sermon from the University of Surrey, who has led the research. "It's also easily dispersed and carried around in clothes, skin, etc."

DNA trapPollen grains (see image, right) vary between plant species and are easily identified under a microscope. Chemical techniques could reveal which oxides were mixed with the pollen, and in which proportions to work out which batch of cartridges they originate from.

"The most challenging part of the project was nanoengineering a coating robust enough to withstand the [high temperatures of] firing and that would still release the tags when touched," he added.

Sermon says that the tags are designed to be compatible with current cartridge manufacturing processes and could be implemented within 12 months of companies or government supporting their introduction.

In addition to the tags, the researchers are working on a way to have gun cartridges retain skin cells from anyone that handle them, for later DNA-based forensic analysis. Micro-scale grit can effectively trap cells and protect DNA from the heat of firing. Today, cartridges are smooth and rarely retain DNA or fingerprints.

The team is also looking to apply that technique to knives so they retain DNA more reliably.

The tags were developed by researchers from Brighton, Brunel, Cranfield, Surrey and York Universities, with commercial collaborators including UK defence firm BAE Systems.

[error]

Pollen goes everywhere. 500 people could be "tagged" by the so-called "nanotags" from such a bullet.

[les nessman]

       What happens when criminals start using the bow and arrow, club, bolo, axe, or garrote?   Seems to me they want to pass feelgood legislation and have part ownership in the suppliers to line their own pockets.   A US organization that was calling for similar measures turned out to have a website registered to an anonymous web provider, and later a person independently investigating found out the guys behind the organization
were leaders in forensic tagging technology for bullets located in Washington state who would of profited.  Follow the money.

[error]

Don't forget the humble, ancient, and extremely deadly blowgun with poison darts.

[J’raxis 270145]

What happens when criminals start using the bow and arrow, club, bolo, axe, or garrote?

This is already headed that way in the UK. Firearms restrictions over there are so complete that they actually have had a significant effect on criminals' access to firearms, so now "knife crime" is one of the biggest problems there. Take away the knives and it'll be the bow and arrow, club, bolo, axe, or garrote.

[JonM]

point-ted sticks!

[grasshopper]

  I love how they thing everybody is a crimminal, nice ha?

[Lloyd Danforth]

When they have enough 'laws' in place, we all will be.

[PattyLee loves dogs]

And of course, ammo reloaders never tumble their cases in lapidary equipment to clean them.

Oh wait, they do, don't they? So I guess all the expensive nano-nano tags will be a-washin' down the drain...

[Lloyd Danforth]

And.....what about shooters with allergies?

[kola]

yes.. get everyone covered in pollen.

hopefully that is ALL it is, pollen.

..and not some cancer causing monsanto gmo frankensoof derivative.

kola

[Free libertarian]

 Looks like reloading supplies will be outlawed next.  They said you had the right to bear  arms...no mention of the right to bear ammo!  I am gathering smooth stones for my sling shot.