University of Otago molecular microbiology doctoral student
Darnell Kennedy swabs for saliva as part of research into
bite marks. Photo by Linda Robertson.
A chance find at a Melbourne second-hand book store left
Darnell Kennedy champing at the bit to pursue a career in
science - and the University of Otago student is hoping her
research into bite marks will assist with catching offenders.
The University of Otago molecular microbiology doctoral
student is studying bite marks - often sustained by the
victims and the perpetrators of crimes, such as homicide,
sexual assault and child abuse.
While conventional analysis of bite marks was often made
difficult due to the elastic nature of skin, an alternative
approach was to analyse saliva, or more specifically bacteria
of the genus streptococcus, left on the bite mark.
Ms Kennedy (30) said it may be possible to identify a person
by their oral streptococci DNA, and she was investigating
whether it could be used as a forensic application.
To help with her research, volunteers were asked to bite
their arms for 10 seconds, and then swab the bite mark for
bacteria deposited by teeth.
The former Gore woman said a "love of science" at high school
encouraged her to enrol for a science degree at Otago, but
she left to pursue a career in the hospitality industry.
Finding a book about the work of Dr William Bass, a forensic
anthropologist in the United States, inspired her to return
to New Zealand in 2005 with the aim of becoming a forensic
scientist.
Graduating with a degree and a post graduate diploma, Ms
Kennedy "jumped at the chance" when she heard forensic
dentist Prof Jules Kieser was recruiting students for further
study. .
She hopes her work, which has been funded by the New Zealand
Dental Research Foundation and Te Tipu Putaiao Fellowship,
will have applications other than helping solve crime.
Expected to complete her PhD at the end of next year, she
hopes to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Of Ngati Maru ki Hauraki descent, Ms Kennedy is one of 30
doctoral students from around the country who will present
their work at the four-day national Maori doctoral student
conference at Puketeraki Marae, Karitane, from today.
The theme of the conference is Te Mahi ki te Hapori - Working
with Communities
hamish.mcneilly@odt.co.nz
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