NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- Nine pipe bombs detonated at a gravel pit in Noblesville Thursday, but it was all planned in advance by a team of experts doing research.

Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis researchers, along with Indiana State Police and a company called Forensic ID, hope they are engaging in research that will turn out to be groundbreaking, 6News' Julie Pursley reported.

"We're here to try to answer a question about improvised explosive devices and whether … the DNA of the person who assembles the device can survive the blast," said John Goodpaster, IUPUI assistant forensics professor.

Experts said they hope the DNA can be recovered and used as evidence to help investigators identify bombers in criminal cases.

An ISP expert assembled the bombs and set them off. Students collected evidence for the ISP lab to analyze.

"We're going to look at how the recover the DNA and then present those findings to other forensic agencies across the country," said Carl Sobieralski of ISP.

A new swabbing technique developed by Forensic ID, an Indianapolis-based company, was also used.

Touch DNA is similar to Trigger ID, which police are now using to gather DNA evidence from guns. The project could help the military, too.

"It allows you do it on scene, like in a military theater where you find an IED or pipe bomb and you need to collect forensic evidence," said Vincent Perez, senior vice president of Forensic ID.

Researchers said the results of the study could change the way law enforcement agencies handle bomb investigations in the future.