ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A University at Albany chemistry professor says technology that makes it possible to distinguish a person's age range based on bloodstains could be used to fight crime.

Professor Igor Lednev says he's able to use lasers to classify blood samples as coming from specific age groups, such as newborns, adolescents or adults from 43 to 68 years old.

Lednev's lab has previously worked with bloodstains and statistics to help determine race and gender without the use of DNA profiling.

Lednev says the next step is to develop a portable scanner that can be used by crime scene investigators.

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