GCU invents nano-powder for uplift of fingerprints

LAHORE
Government College University (GCU) on Wednesday made an unprecedented achievement by getting another key invention “ZNO-SIO2 nano-powder for the development of latent fingerprints” patented with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
“It’s the fourth US patent of GCU which is hopefully going to be a landmark development for crime scene investigation,” said Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman while talking to the media regarding the approval of the university’s fourth patent application.
The patent in the field of forensics and nano-technology is the result of research done by Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) Director General Dr Mohammad Ashraf Tahir, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman and GCU Nano-chemistry Laboratory Director Dr Muhammad Akhyar Farrukh for developing an indigenous strong and low-cost nano-powder for lifting the latent fingerprints from nonporous surfaces such as metal, glass or plastic.
This nano-powder composition contains 40-50 percent zinc and 10-20percent silicon and it is patented as it lifts even minor fingerprints without contaminating them. This nano-powder gives very clear images of fingerprints by adhering to the moisture and oily constituents of sweat residue through pressure deficit mechanism.
The vice-chancellor said the ZNO-SIO2 nano-powder was tested at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency and was a result strong collaboration between the two institutions.
Talking further about the collaboration with PFSA, Vice-Chancellor Prof Rehman said modern research had grown complex and multidisciplinary and it was not possible for a single research institution or university to possess all the knowledge, equipment and techniques required. Therefore, he added it was imperative to establish the academic and research links and share resources, expertise and equipment with each other. He expressed gratitude to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency DG for his technical support for research at GCU in the area of forensics.
However, the VC also said GCU had also established modern nano-chemistry laboratory to advance research in the fields of solar cells, nanocatalysis, nanofiltration, nanoforensics, nanodrugs, nanofertilizers and wastewater treatment. He said GCU was expecting to have more patents in the above fields in the coming years.
It is pertinent to mention here that the United States Patent Office had already patented GCU’s invented ‘analytical grade salt’, ‘nano-leucite for slow release nitrogen fertiliser and green environment’ and ‘zinc oxide nanoflakes for treatment of pollutants’.