Oh, what a time to be alive in the world of forensic science, where we boldly go where many have probably gone before, but this time with ozone! Yes, that’s right, folks. We’ve decided to see if our good old friend ozone, usually known for its layer in the stratosphere, could play nice with our forensic tests. Because, you know, we can’t just assume things will work out. That would be too easy.

So, we took a bunch of samples – blood, saliva, and semen (the usual suspects) – and decided to throw a little ozone party. Half of these samples got to bask in the glow of ozone treatment, while the other half sat in the corner, untouched, wondering what they did wrong to not get invited.

After the ozone shindig, we put these samples through the forensic ringer: lateral flow immunochromatographic assays (try saying that five times fast), quantitative real-time PCR for the RNA aficionados, luminol tests for the blood enthusiasts, Phadebas® Amylase Test for saliva sleuths, and a good old microscopic examination for those into semen investigation. We even dressed some of them up with Christmas Tree or Hematoxylin-Eosin staining because, why not? Everyone likes a well-dressed sample.

And what did we find, you ask? Well, ozone and sperm cells seem to be best buds – no issues there. But when it came to detecting diluted blood, semen, and the ever-elusive amylase in saliva, ozone played the role of the party pooper. Sensitivity went down, and in the case of amylase, ozone nearly wiped it off the map. As for RNA markers, they showed some wear and tear but hung in there, proving they’re not so easily discouraged by a little ozone.

In conclusion, ozone treatment is kind of like that friend who means well but ends up complicating things. It’s great for not messing with sperm cell identification but throws a wrench in the works for detecting other biological substances. So, next time you think about inviting ozone to your forensic analysis party, maybe check with the other guests first.