http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/biometric/ Biometric Technology. New biometric security devices such as a new iris scanner. Read research on the reliability of DNA tests, fingerprint matches, and other biometrics. en-us Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:05:01 EDT Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/biometric/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619133057.htm An automatic image retrieval system has been created, whereby law enforcement agencies will be able to match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619133057.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613105914.htm A new DNA microarray chip can predict severe disability and remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The chip has yielded two clinical-genetic models of RA outcomes, to assist physicians in anticipating likely disease progression and prognosis and thereby guide decisions on the best course of treatment for individual patients. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080613105914.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609141241.htm Biometrics is commonly associated retinal scans, iris recognition and DNA databases, but researchers in India are working on another form of biometrics that could allow law enforcement agencies and airport security to recognize suspects based on the way they were, their characteristic gait. Viewed from the side, we each have a unique gait that makes us easily recognizable. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609141241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602103331.htm New techniques have been developed for identifying fingerprints on metal. The technique can enhance -- after firing -- a fingerprint that has been deposited on a small caliber metal cartridge case before it is fired. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602103331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084218.htm Approximately 250,000 items of sexual assault evidence are mired in three- to 12-month backlogs awaiting analysis in US forensic laboratories. A forensic chemist has now developed a method for handling rape evidence that reduces part of the DNA analysis time from 24 hours to as little as 30 to 45 minutes and improves the sperm cell recovery rate by 100 percent. Wed, 07 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501110025.htm Fingerprints that used to escape detection could soon help point to the killer. Using a field portable system investigators at crime scenes will be able to detect latent prints on human skin. The system takes advantage of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based agents to visualize latent prints. Sat, 03 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501110025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410131603.htm Detection of a fraud attempt in sample taking for a DNA analysis is modifying forensic scientists' action protocol: It will be compulsory for the donor to wash his mouth out before a witness. The fraud attempt took place in a paternity test, when the donor mixed his own saliva with that of someone else's. Faced with the evidence, the suspect admitted that, shortly before the sample taking, he put someone else's saliva into his mouth from a little container. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410131603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402100005.htm A fingerprint identification technology for use in Personal Identification Verification cards that offers improved protection from identity theft meets the standardized accuracy criteria for federal identification cards. Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402100005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083344.htm One day soon a biosensing nanodevice may eliminate long lines at airport security checkpoints and revolutionize health screenings for diseases like anthrax, cancer and antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Even more incredible than the device itself, is that it is based on the world's tiniest rotary motor: a biological engine measured on the order of molecules. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325083344.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310173246.htm Scientists have taken a mathematical approach to a biological problem -- how to design a portable DNA detector. A mathematical simulation shows how a new type of nanoscale transistor might be coupled to a DNA sensor system. Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310173246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080111224007.htm The inventor of DNA fingerprinting has voiced his concerns over the ethics of a DNA database. He spoke out over the 'significant ethical and social issues' as the government launched an inquiry into the way the national DNA database is used. The UK database, with the DNA of over 4million people, was launched in 1995 and allows all DNA collected by forensics- for whatever purposes - to be stored indefinitely. Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080111224007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201233.htm Using computer simulations, researchers have demonstrated a strategy for sequencing DNA by driving the molecule back and forth through a nanopore capacitor in a semiconductor chip. The technique could lead to a device that would read human genomes quickly and affordably. Mon, 17 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201233.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204100422.htm It is not science fiction to think that our eyes could very soon be the key to unlocking our homes, accessing our bank accounts and logging on to our computers, according to one scientist. New research is helping to remove one of the final obstacles to the everyday application of iris scanning technology. Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071204100422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203091232.htm Scientists are reporting for the first time that sculptors from the fantastically wealthy ancient Empire of Mali -- once the source of almost half the world's gold -- used blood to form the beautiful patina, or coating, on their works of art. They describe development of a new, noninvasive test that accurately identifies traces of blood apparently left on ancient African artifacts used in ceremonies involving animal sacrifices. Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203091232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203111254.htm Engineers have demonstrated a highly versatile, compact and portable Quantum Cascade Laser sensor for the fast detection of a large number of chemicals, ranging from infinitesimal traces of gases to liquids, by broad tuning of the emission wavelength. The potential range of applications is huge, including homeland security, medical diagnostics such as breadth analysis, pollution monitoring, and environmental sensing of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203111254.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126201345.htm In 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a radiofrequency identification device that is implanted under the skin of the upper arm of patients and that stores the patient's medical identifier. What are the benefits and risks of patients getting fitted with such an RFID chip? Wed, 28 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071126201345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015093528.htm A new DNA sequencing process is simpler, more accurate and efficient than the multiplex PCR that was previously used to sequence portions of the genome. Microarrays are used to enrich or increase the volume of specific genomic sequences. Then high throughput DNA sequencing machines quickly determine the exact genetic code of the material. Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071015093528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163703.htm A new technology will allow researchers to more easily discover subtle and overlooked genetic variations that may have serious consequences for health and disease. Called Microarray-based Genomic Selection, the research protocol allows scientists to extract and enrich specific large-sized DNA regions, then compare genetic variation among individuals using DNA resequencing methods. Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014163703.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071010164736.htm While biometric equipment is gaining popularity in a variety of applications, such as ensuring secure access to buildings, industries are finding that many users believe the devices are unsanitary and a potential source of germs that could cause illness. But a new study has found that while the platen glass surfaces of devices that scan fingerprints or hand geometry may look more unsanitary due to visible dirt and prints, they in fact harbor about the same amount of bacteria as a typical doorknob. Sat, 13 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071010164736.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071005185129.htm Are you a terrorist? Airport screeners, customs agents, police officers and members of the military who silently pose that question to people every day, may soon have much more than intuition to depend on to determine the answer, thanks to computer and behavioral scientists. Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071005185129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001102348.htm Researchers have devised a means of identifying partial, distorted, scratched, smudged or otherwise warped fingerprints in just a few seconds. The unwarping technique is so effective that it also for the first time allows comparison of the position of individual sweat pores on a finger print. Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071001102348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917124408.htm Scientists are working to advance the integration of radio frequency identification technology, also known as RFID, into cardiac sensor networks, a new wireless technology for telemedicine delivery. The team will also work to enhance the security of the systems used in the process, thereby reducing the possibility of identity theft and cyber-terrorism. Sat, 22 Sep 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070917124408.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912160642.htm A new technique which enables us to identify faces more accurately could make security systems more reliable. Humans are very good at identifying faces we know. However, researchers said, we are much less accomplished when the face is unknown to us. This is almost always the case with the faces captured by CCTV cameras or used to check at a passport barrier. Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070912160642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070810194915.htm Biometric recognition systems measure unique behavioural or physical traits to recognise people. These can be as varied as iris images, fingerprints, the structure of veins in the hand, or even an individual's typing rhythm. Currently they are predominantly used in national government systems for border control or criminal justice. Researchers will be assessing a range of biometric security systems. Sun, 12 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070810194915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070802103435.htm A new fingerprinting technique could potentially detect the diet, race and sex of a suspected criminal, according to new research. A strong trace of urea, a chemical found in urine, could indicate a male. Weak traces of urea in a chemical sample could indicate a female. Specific amino acids could potentially indicate whether the suspect was a vegetarian or meat-eater. Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070802103435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070731175856.htm Facial recognition software can be useful for credit card numbers, PINs and national security. The face recognition software uses a three-dimensional snapshot of a person’s face to create a unique identifier, a biometric. The identification procedure is as effortless as taking a photograph. Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070731175856.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070722231232.htm Research has identified some of the most effective ways of identifying individuals in public spaces. Identifying individuals within a given environment is considered important both from a security and marketing perspective. Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070722231232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070723115817.htm In a finding that should get a "thumbs up" from CSI fans, researchers are reporting development of a fast new fingerprinting method that shows promise for improving the collection and analysis of fingerprints from crime scenes. Scientists used a special gelatin tape to collect fingerprints from several different surfaces. They then exposed the imprinted gels to a highly sensitive instrument that used a beam of infrared light and an array detector to obtain images of the collected fingerprints. Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070723115817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070516123538.htm Scientists can now use fingerprints to reveal drug and doping transgressions and to diagnose diseases. They have also been able to use specific antibodies to differentiate between the fingerprints of smokers and nonsmokers. Thu, 17 May 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070516123538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070511100913.htm A international team has proven for the first time that a single nanometer-scale pore in a thin membrane -- resembling one found in a living cell -- can be used to accurately detect and sort different-sized polymer chains (a model for biological molecules) that pass through the channel. Sat, 12 May 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070511100913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070504133017.htm Diagnostic 3-D ultrasound of fingers could be used for biometric identification based on matching paired images using internal fingerprint structures that would be difficult to fake, offering the possibility of a unique automated fingerprint identification system, according to a new study. Sun, 06 May 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070504133017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070502143620.htm Future proteomics research should see a substantial acceleration with the development of a new device that provides the first monolithic interface between mass spectrometry and silicon/silica-based microfluidic "lab-on-a-chip" technologies. This new device is called a multinozzle nanoelectrospray emitter array. Thu, 03 May 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070502143620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070330184917.htm By recognizing sugars, a technique developed by University of Michigan analytical chemist Kristina Hakansson sets the stage for new cancer diagnosis and treatment options. Sat, 31 Mar 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070330184917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070315132718.htm Hidden fingerprints can be now be revealed quickly and reliably thanks to two developments in nanotechnology. Fri, 16 Mar 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070315132718.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070205202939.htm A recent study shows that facial recognition through machine vision is technically possible. This raises interesting prospects for future machine vision applications. Tue, 20 Feb 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070205202939.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212182139.htm University of Southern California engineers will present efficient new wireless chip designs, optimized for radar applications, that can be produced cheaply from ordinary silicon, with broad potential ranging from car radar to medical monitoring systems in San Francisco starting Monday February 12. Tue, 13 Feb 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070212182139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070205203714.htm Wouldn't it be great if we could get computer chips to grow on trees? Or at least use the specific bonds of DNA molecules to get nanostructures to grow themselves right in the test tube? This technology could be used to build everything from tiny electronics components to machines that sequence DNA. Tue, 06 Feb 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070205203714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070119164349.htm Once a tool primarily used by law enforcement, biometric technologies such as fingerprint readers increasingly are being used by governments and private industry for a personal ID that can't easily be forged or stolen. NIST researchers have studied the effect of the work surface height of a fingerprint sensor on the quality and the time required to collect prints. Mon, 22 Jan 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070119164349.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070118163355.htm A tiny microbe may hold the key to simpler, lower-cost production of ethanol from biomass sources such as trees, grasses and cornstalks. Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are studying a bacterium known as Clostridium thermocellum, which has the ability to both degrade cellulose -- cellulose makes up the cell walls of plants -- into sugars and then ferment these sugars into alcohol, or ethanol. Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070118163355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061223092622.htm Researchers from NIST, the Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Maryland have demonstrated a deceptively simple technique for chemically bonding single strands of DNA to gold. The technique offers a convenient way to control the density of the DNA strands on the substrate, which could be important for optimizing DNA sensor arrays. Fri, 29 Dec 2006 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061223092622.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061219095426.htm Testing for deadly food, air and water pathogens may get a lot easier and cheaper thanks to the work of a Michigan State University researcher and his team. Syed Hashsham, an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Center for Microbial Ecology, is developing a portable, hand-held device capable of detecting up to 50 microbial threat agents in air, water and food Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061219095426.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128084329.htm Technology developed for roadside fingerprints using hand-held devices -- announced in the media this month -- has also been pioneered in identifying the dead, it has been revealed. Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128084329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061116101143.htm Researchers at the Johns Hopkins' High Throughput Biology Center have invented two new gene "chip" technologies that can be used to help identify otherwise elusive disease-causing mutations in the 97 percent of the genome long believed to be "junk." Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061116101143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060912214943.htm The next time you're sipping a latte and surfing the Net at your favorite neighborhood wireless café, someone just a few seats away could be breaking into your laptop and causing irreparable damage to your computer's operating system by secretly tapping into your network card's unique device driver, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in have concluded. Wed, 13 Sep 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060912214943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060826101746.htm High-tech laboratory tools, like computers, are often updated publicly as their analytical capabilities expand. In the September issue of the Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, NIH grantees report they have developed a second generation "lab on a silicon chip" called the MitoChip v2.0 that for the first time rapidly and reliably sequences all mitochondrial DNA. Sat, 26 Aug 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060826101746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060523072848.htm Engineers at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, using an emerging sensing technology, have developed a suite of sensors for national security applications that can quickly and effectively detect chemical, biological, nuclear and explosive materials. Tue, 23 May 2006 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060523072848.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060501102005.htm A study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that computerized systems that match fingerprints using interoperable minutiae templates -- mathematical representations of a fingerprint image -- can be highly accurate as an alternative to the full fingerprint image. NIST conducted the study, called the Minutiae Interoperability Exchange Test (MINEX), to determine whether fingerprint system vendors could successfully use a recently approved standard* for minutiae data rather than images of actual prints as the medium for exchanging data between different fingerprint matching systems. Mon, 01 May 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060501102005.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060418175215.htm Child pornographers will soon have a harder time escaping prosecution thanks to a stunning new technology in development at Binghamton University, State University of New York, that can reliably link digital images to the camera with which they were taken, in much the same way that tell-tale scratches are used by forensic examiners to link bullets to the gun that fired them. Tue, 18 Apr 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060418175215.htm