High-school students tried out the role of forensic detectives at FCH

At the end of August, the laboratories of the Faculty of Chemistry came alive with a detective atmosphere. As part of the Summer School of Forensic Analysis, high-school students from all over the Czech Republic gathered here to try out the role of investigators for two days. Due to great interest, the event was held in two sessions – August 25–26 and August 27–28, 2025.

Author: Tomáš Malcher
From the very first day, participants plunged into investigating the mystery of the missing recipe for the Elixir of Life, which could have a major impact in the field of regenerative medicine. The tasks unfolded like a real criminal investigation – the students did not know in advance what awaited them, but gradually collected clues, discovered mysterious letters, solved puzzles, and gathered evidence that step by step brought them closer to unmasking the culprit.

Author: Tomáš Malcher
On the first day, they tried out:

  • taking and comparing fingerprints,
  • visualizing invisible ink using the LA-ICP-MS method,
  • DNA isolation,
  • identifying unknown substances through qualitative reactions,
  • and also forensic biomechanics within criminal traceology, examining shoe and footprint traces.

Author: Tomáš Malcher
On the second day, they continued rotating between laboratories and faced more thrilling tasks:

  • analyzing a message from the crime scene using chromatography,
  • using infrared spectroscopy to examine hairs collected at the crime scene,
  • detecting blood traces,
  • handwriting analysis and deciphering an encoded text.

The highlight of the entire program was the joint unmasking of the culprit who had stolen the recipe for the Elixir of Life. The students managed to connect all the evidence, decipher the codes, and unequivocally identify the perpetrator.

Author: Tomáš Malcher
“All the students were very skilled; we really enjoyed their enthusiasm for the investigation and their determination to catch the culprit,” said the organizers Ing. Bilavčíková and Ing. Machalová. “It was fascinating to watch them think through new breakthroughs in the case and see their thought processes.”

The investigation culminated in reporting the criminal to the Criminal Police of the Faculty of Chemistry BUT, convincingly portrayed by one of the faculty staff members.

PHOTO GALLERY

Author: Tomáš Malcher

Published
Link https://www.fch.vut.cz/en/faculty/for-media/f81551/d301256