Marcel de Puit

Research Profile

Fingerprint research at the NFI is focussed on the improvement of current and development of new methodologies for fingermark analysis. We focus on research and development for application within criminal investigations. Past research has shown that there is a wealth of other information that can be obtained from fingermarks and fingerprints. Any form of information that can be obtained from a mark is potentially important in a case and should be investigated. The only way to understand what the weight of this novel evidence can be is research.

Research Projects NFI and TUDelft

At the NFI research and innovation programs are defined to match the general institute strategy. Within the total innovation program there are several projects focussed on fingerprint.

PhD Studies

Marcel de Puit obtained a PhD from the University of Leeds, under the supervision of prof. P. J. Kocienski. The research project entailed the development of a novel Ni(0)-mediated C-Aryl Glycal coupling reaction and the application thereof in the total synthesis of Papulacandin D.

After a position at Pfizer (Sandwich, UK) and Specs Compound Handling (Delft, NL) dr. Marcel de Puit was recruited by the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) as the Research Lead for Fingerprint Research in 2007. From 2015 Marcel is a part-time Associate Professor at the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft).

Marcel’s experience in research started at the University of Glasgow (Scotland, UK) with a R&D traineeship as a part his BSc-studies, under the supervision of prof. P. J. Kocienski. After finishing the BSc-degree he took up a PhD position at the University of Leeds, UK, again under the supervision of prof. Kocienski.

Marcel's research interest range from the development of new visualisation reagents to the chemical analysis of fingerprints. The research so far has resulted in some interesting insights in the development and the chemical profiling of latent fingerprints. The chemical profiling can in future be used to estimate the age of fingerprints and establish certain habits of the donor. At present a research project on the use of fingerprints for the evaluation of hypotheses at activity level is ongoing.

As founding father of the European Division of The International Association for Identification Marcel is a member of the board of directors and currently the treasurer.