Keywords

lubricants, sexual assault

Abstract

DNA analysis is the primary type of analysis that is done in sexual assault investigations due to the ability to link a suspect to a crime and/ or a victim through DNA profiling. However, in cases where DNA is not observed or a reference is not available, it is important to analyze other forensic evidence. In cases like this, research suggests that sexual lubricant analysis could provide critical information that links the suspect to the victim and/or crime scene. Despite such research, lubricant analysis is not routinely conducted in forensic laboratories due to the possibility of losing and/or damaging DNA that may be present on the swab. Therefore, to maximize forensic evidence, it is pertinent that a protocol is developed that efficiently extracts sexual lubricant residues and DNA from one swab. Initially, a swab optimization study was conducted to determine which swab fiber type interfered the least with the chemical profile of silicone and water based sexual lubricants. The extraction of sexual lubricant standards in distilled water and Buffer ATL was investigated, with the intention of extracting polar lubricant residues from DNA-containing swabs. Moreover, a second extraction of the swab was completed to retrieve nonpolar sexual lubricant residues. Extracted sexual lubricant standards were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and direct analysis in real-time-high resolution mass spectrometry. Another study was conducted to investigate if DNA was quantifiable after isolation from lubricant residues extracted from one swab. Finally, the entire protocol was evaluated on mock sexual assault swabs containing various combinations of biological material (i.e., epithelial cell, vaginal secretions and semen) and sexual lubricant. The goal was to develop a multi-step protocol that ensured the collection of sexual lubricant residues and DNA molecules from one swab.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Bridge, Candice

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Chemistry

Format

PDF

Release Date

12-15-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Subjects

Lubrication and lubricants--Analysis; DNA--Analysis; Forensic sciences--Experiments; Extraction (Chemistry)--Research; Sex crimes--Research

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Available for download on Tuesday, December 15, 2026

Included in

Chemistry Commons

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