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UCT PragueFCEDepartment of Analytical Chemistry Research Forensic Olfactronics Group

Forensic Olfactronics Group

3. 7. 2026 Kamil Záruba

The forensic olfactronics group focuses on the detailed chemical analysis of human scent samples and other biological materials, primarily using advanced GC-MS techniques. The group aims to distinguish, among the hundreds of compounds that make up human odor, those that form an individual odor signature that could enable objective identification of a person.

In addition, the odor profile is analyzed for compounds that may allow so-called categorical identification (e.g., sex, age, race), thereby providing forensic investigators with a powerful tool for criminal investigations. A highly advanced application for law enforcement authorities would be the introduction of a so-called digital odor signature, enabling the creation of a forensic database of odor signatures, their computer-based comparison, and their potential dissemination via the internet.

Head:

prof. RNDr. Štěpán Urban, CSc.

Members:

Ing. Veronika Škeříková, Ph.D.

Ing. Petra Pojmanová, Ph.D. - mateřská dovolená

PhD Students:

RNDr. Luděk Bouška, Ph.D. (obhájil 2024)

Ing. Jana Čechová (ŠU)

Ing. Jánošíková Lenka (ŠU)

Ing. Oleksii Kaminskyi (ŠU)

Ing. Ulrika Sandra Malá (ŠU)

supervosors: ŠU = prof. Urban

 

Group goals:

  • The digitization of scent signature
  • Finding correlations between scent profiles and secondary characteristics of an individual (age, sex, race, etc.)
  • The development of non-contact scent collection equipment
  • The optimization of the scent collection process, including used sorption materials
  • The development of GC-MS and GC × GC-TOF / MS methods for human scent analysis

Selection of final theses from recent years:

  • Medicines and addictive drugs in the human scent
  • The human scent composition influenced by smoking and by consumption of alcohol
  • The differences in human scents depending on the person´s age
  • The difference in the molecular composition of male and female body scent
  • Influences of gravidity, childbearing, and breastfeeding on the chemical composition of the human scent trace
  • Class identification: Ethnic and race determination of human scent
  • Detection of molecular indicators of diseases in breathing out air
  • Scent collection device for chemical analysis
  • Evaluation of sorbent properties for odour sampling from various parts of the human body
  • Algorithm for the quantitative evaluation of scent samples

Publications:

Scientific papers in impacted journals:

  • Pojmanová, P.; Ladislavová N.; Škeříková, V.; Kania, P.; Urban, Š.; Human scent samples for chemical analysis. Chem. Pap. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-019-00989-2
  • Doležal P.; Furton K. G.; Lněničková J.; Kyjaková P.; Škeříková V.; Valterová I.; Pinc L.; Urban Š., Multiplicity of human scent signature. Egypt. J. Forensic Sci. 2019, 9 (1), 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41935-019-0112-z
  • Doležal, P.; Kyjaková, P.; Valterová, I.; Urban, Š., Qualitative analyses of less-volatile organic molecules from female skin scents by comprehensive two dimensional gas chromatography–time of flight mass spectrometry. J. Chromatogr. A 2017, 1505, 77-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2017.04.062

Scientific papers in non-impacted journals with peer review:

  • Lněničková, J.; Doležal, P.; Cinková, P.; Vyplelová, P.; Pinc, L.; Vyhnálek, O.; Škeříková, V.; Urban, Š. Vlastnosti lidské pachové stopy a multiplicita pachové signatury, Kriminalistický sborník, 2, Praha 2017, 60-66.
  • Doležal, P.; Lněničková, J.; Cinková, P.; Benediktová, K.; Pinc, L.; Urban, Š. Molekulová skladba pachové signatury člověka, in: M. Vitnerová (Ed.) Kriminalistika 3, Praha 2016, 200-210.

Certified methodology:

  • Urban, Š; Pinc, L.; Škeříková, V.; Vyhnálek, O.; Cinková, P.; Doležal, P., Metodika odběru lidského pachu pro chemickou analýzu. Recognized certified methodology within the project Scent Signature, no. VF20140215036 (2016).