UROP Project

A Rapid, High-throughput ATR-FTIR Screening of Skeletal Remains for Species Identification

FTIR spectroscopy, forensic science, species discrimination, chemometrics

Research Mentor: Dr Sayali Sangamnerkar, She/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Anthropology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: ss25d@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: Chemistry, Anthropology, forensic science and/or anyone with interest in analytical techniques
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 10, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:
Not participating in the roundtable

Project Description

The recovery and identification of fragmented skeletal remains from forensic, archaeological, disaster, and military MIA contexts often require extensive laboratory analyses to determine species origin and assess the potential for successful DNA recovery. Existing approaches rely heavily on morphological assessment and destructive molecular testing, which can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and inconclusive when remains are highly fragmented or degraded. Published studies have demonstrated the potential of vibrational spectroscopy combined with machine learning methods for skeletal tissue characterization, suggesting an opportunity to develop rapid, non-destructive screening tools that can support forensic and recovery workflows. This project will develop and validate a non-destructive spectroscopic screening framework using ATR-FTIR and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy integrated with machine learning. Spectral data, combined with preprocessing and feature extraction, will support modeling (PCA, PLS-DA, Random Forest) to discriminate human vs. non-human bone

Research Tasks: Literature review, preparation of skeletal samples, data collection using FTIR spectrometer, and data analysis

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Following skills required or willingness to learn:
Basic lab safety and following protocols
Sample handling, labelling, and record keeping
Experience with scientific instrumentation
data entry, quality control procedures
Microsoft office (word, excel, powerpoint)
Basic statistical analysis
Scientific research skills
Attention to detail and being able to work independently with guidance
Time management, problem-solving and critical thinking