Ninhydrin

Ninhydrin is a chemical reagent used in forensic analysis to detect the presence of proteins, commonly used to develop latent fingerprints on porous surfaces, such as paper. The reagent works by reacting with the amino acids found in proteins, causing them to become visible as a purple-blue colour. Ninhydrin can also be used to detect peptide bonds and to detect and quantify amino acids and proteins, which is a key tool for medical and biological research.