Browsing by Author "Moore, Hannah"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Creating a searchable chromatographic database with the NIST mass spectral search program
    (American Chemical Society , 2022-03-09) Cody, Robert B.; Sparkman, O. David; Moore, Hannah
    The NIST Mass Spectral Search Program can be used to create a searchable database of chromatograms. This approach was tested for a small database of chromatograms for gin volatiles and for a database of insect cuticular hydrocarbons with retention times and reconstructed total ion current chromatographic peak areas substituted for m/z values and abundance. The In-source HiRes Identity search permitted matching of randomly selected chromatograms against the database with good results. This approach is not intended to replace commercial software for chromatographic database management as it does not address the problems of chromatographic alignment or chromatographic deconvolution, but it does provide a method to manage a simple chromatographic database if other options are not available.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Cuticular hydrocarbons for the identification and geographic assignment of empty puparia of forensically important flies
    (Springer, 2022-02-26) Moore, Hannah; Lutz, Lena; Bernhardt, Victoria; Drijfhout, Falko P.; Cody, Robert B.; Amendt, Jens
    Research in social insects has shown that hydrocarbons on their cuticle are species-specific. This has also been proven for Diptera and is a promising tool for identifying important fly taxa in Forensic Entomology. Sometimes the empty puparia, in which the metamorphosis to the adult fly has taken place, can be the most useful entomological evidence at the crime scene. However, so far, they are used with little profit in criminal investigations due to the difficulties of reliably discriminate among different species. We analysed the CHC chemical profiles of empty puparia from seven forensically important blow flies Calliphora vicina, Chrysomya albiceps, Lucilia caesar, Lucilia sericata, Lucilia silvarum, Protophormia terraenovae, Phormia regina and the flesh fly Sarcophaga caerulescens. The aim was to use their profiles for identification but also investigate geographical differences by comparing profiles of the same species (here: C. vicina and L. sericata) from different regions. The cuticular hydrocarbons were extracted with hexane and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Our results reveal distinguishing differences within the cuticular hydrocarbon profiles allowing for identification of all analysed species. There were also differences shown in the profiles of C. vicina from Germany, Spain, Norway and England, indicating that geographical locations can be determined from this chemical analysis. Differences in L. sericata, sampled from England and two locations in Germany, were less pronounced, but there was even some indication that it may be possible to distinguish populations within Germany that are about 70 km apart from one another.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Dataset for Investigating the effects of rearing conditions and generation divergence on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of Lucilia sericata adult flies
    (Cranfield University, 2024-01-08 14:46) Moore, Hannah
    Blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are known to be the most forensically important insects in forensic entomology as they are the first insects to arrive at decomposing remains, thus they have been used for decades to estimate the minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin). Accurate estimations of PMImin are essential for effective forensic investigations. However, challenges arise when multiple generations of adult flies are associated with decomposing remains, leading to lapses in PMImin predictions. To address this issue, the present study focuses on analysing cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) as a novel approach to identify insect species, estimating their age and determining the environment in which they develop. Previous studies have explored CHC analysis and contributed to the validation of the technique; nevertheless, generation differences and long-term rearing effects remain undetermined, especially their direct influence on CHC profiles. Therefore, this investigation examines the chemical profiles of first-generation strains reared in both outdoor and indoor settings to examine the impact of rearing conditions on Lucilia sericata adult flies. Furthermore, a comparative analysis between first- and fourth-generation adult flies is conducted to evaluate the long-term rearing effects in laboratory conditions and to explore intergeneration differences between the strains. The profiles were analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Samples were classified with a multivariate statistical method, principal component analysis (PCA) to visualise distinctions in the chemical profiles. The study contributes to the existing literature by revealing the profound influence of generation divergence and environmental conditions on CHC profiles. The comprehensive analysis presented in this study serves to enhance the understanding and application of CHC analysis in forensic entomology, ultimately advancing the reliability and precision of forensic investigations involving decomposing remains.