Dr. Jan Halámek Lab
About Us
Currently, there is a lack of techniques for rapid on-site screening of body fluids, such as blood, fingerprints, and sweat. Each body fluid contains a specific set of clinical biomarkers that can be exploited for the determination of originator properties via point-of-care (POC) diagnostic approaches. These metabolites can be detected in various combinations to allow for a range of applications from the identification of an individual to the diagnosis of a disease. This concept has successfully been used for the determination of age from blood, of biological sex from fingerprints, and of individual differentiation from sweat. Biomedical diagnostic systems capable of detecting and monitoring metabolites related to an individual’s state-of-health facilitate a diagnosis and treatment by less-skilled medical professionals. Our research requires the identification of new metabolic markers for the development of rapid and non-invasive methods with forensic, clinical, and security applications.
Current Interests
- Noninvasive sensing: detection and/or quantification of metabolites and other compounds found in sweat from the skin surface, can be applied to biometric, forensic, and biomedical purposes such as determination of biological sex, or age of fingerprints
- Forensic Serology: using biometric analysis of compounds found in blood for originator differentiation, similar to that of DNA comparison methods
- Fingerprint content analysis: utilizing the compounds contained in latent fingerprints to determine originator attributes for forensic investigative purposes
- Noninvasive detection of illicit drugs: sensing of illicit drug metabolites such as THC from individual sweat samples for forensic and biomedical purposes, as well as possible future law enforcement applications
- Novel approaches in chemical warfare agents (CWAs): ultra-sensitive detection and dosimetry of CWAs such as organophosphates (OPs) for military and homeland security application
Students
Ashley Newland Ashley is from Springfield, OH and earned her B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Chemistry in 2019 from Kent State University. She focused on genetics and DNA studies while working in two research labs as an undergraduate student for over two years. Ashley is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Forensic Chemistry at the Institute of Forensic Science at Texas Tech University. She joined the Halámek lab during the fall semester of 2020
Samuel Hayes Samuel is from Roswell, NM. He received his B.A. in Creative Writing with a minor
in Chemistry and German in 2020 from Texas Tech University. Samuel is currently pursuing
his Master's in Forensic Science with a concentration in Forensic Chemistry. He joined
Halámek's lab in Fall 2022.
Vrunda Rania
Vrunda is from Gujarat, India. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Medical
Technology in 2019 from Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat, India. She also
secured Master of Science degree in Medical Technology with specialization in Clinical
Laboratory Technology in 2021 from Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune,
India. Currently, she is pursuing Master of Science in Forensic Science. She joined
the Halámek Group in Fall 2022.
Jeremy Lawrence
Kaybre Lafon
Jaleigh Morales
Jaleigh is from Abilene, Texas, where she earned her B.S. in Biomedical Science and
minored in Chemistry in 2022 at McMurry University. She focused on her capstone in
the genetic components of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus through the human genome and
other research for other classes. Jaleigh is currently pursuing her master’s degree
in forensic science with a concentration in chemistry at the Institute for Forensic
Science at Texas Tech University. She joined the Halámek lab during the fall semester
of 2023 to pursue her thesis project.
News
- Jan Halamek and graduate student Gianna Biddle published a paper in Electrochemical
Sciences Advances titled “Non‐Traditional Encryption Methods: Moving Toward Electrochemical
Cryptography.” (December 2021)
................................. - Jan Halamek will be instituting a new course in Homeland Security in the Spring 2022
semester at the Institute for Forensic Science.
................................. - Jan Halamek was appointed Associate Editor for Forensic Chemistry, a specialty section
of the journal Frontiers in Analytical Science. (June 2021)
................................. - Jan Halamek and graduate student published a paper in ACS Omega titled “Determination
of Time Since Deposition of Fingerprints via Colorimetric Assays.” They were also
chosen to submit an alternate cover for this edition of the journal. (May 2021)
................................. - The Halamek Research Group joined the Department of Environmental Toxicology at Texas Tech University, the Institute for Environmental and Human Health. (August 2020)
Department of Environmental Toxicology
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Address
Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.4567 -
Email
entx.it@ttu.edu