Predicting the postmortem interval of burial cadavers based on microbial community succession

Zhang, Jun; Wang, Mengchun; Qi, Xiaoqin; Shi, Linqi; Zhang, Jiarong; Zhang, Xiaomeng; Yang, Tingting; Ren, Jianbo; Liu, Feng; Zhang, Gengqian; Yan, Jiangwei

doi:10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102488

Cited by 32 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Different PMI methods are already used in the forensic routine, such as entomology and the stages of the human body decomposition, but the use of thanatomicrobiome and epinecrobiome-based estimation of PMI brings the potential for improving accuracy (Dash and Das, 2020;Roy et al, 2021). The obtained accuracy in PMI prediction for both open-air and buried human remains are really close, being able to predict within 1.82 ± 0.33 days of mean error in a 60-day period of decomposition (Zhang et al, 2021a). Hu et al (2021) identified that the appendix had a nice microorganism succession rate for human decomposition, and within a 192-hour period the mean error was of 25.79 ± 0.43 hours for PMI estimation.…”

Section: Postmortem Interval (Pmi)mentioning

confidence: 90%

Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics

et al. 2022

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Massively parallel sequencing, also referred to as next-generation sequencing, has positively changed DNA analysis, allowing further advances in genetics. Its capability of dealing with low quantity/damaged samples makes it an interesting instrument for forensics. The main advantage of MPS is the possibility of analyzing simultaneously thousands of genetic markers, generating high-resolution data. Its detailed sequence information allowed the discovery of variations in core forensic short tandem repeat loci, as well as the identification of previous unknown polymorphisms. Furthermore, different types of markers can be sequenced in a single run, enabling the emergence of DIP-STRs, SNP-STR haplotypes, and microhaplotypes, which can be very useful in mixture deconvolution cases. In addition, the multiplex analysis of different single nucleotide polymorphisms can provide valuable information about identity, biogeographic ancestry, paternity, or phenotype. DNA methylation patterns, mitochondrial DNA, mRNA, and microRNA profiling can also be analyzed for different purposes, such as age inference, maternal lineage analysis, body-fluid identification, and monozygotic twin discrimination. MPS technology also empowers the study of metagenomics, which analyzes genetic material from a microbial community to obtain information about individual identification, post-mortem interval estimation, geolocation inference, and substrate analysis. This review aims to discuss the main applications of MPS in forensic genetics.

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Section: Postmortem Interval (Pmi)mentioning

confidence: 90%

Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics

et al. 2022

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“…The vast majority of the studies analyze remains decomposing on the surface; however, some research has been performed in buried remains [73,74], demonstrating that microbial successional changes can be potentially utilized to estimate the PMI despite the specific environment were the corpse is decomposing.…”

Section: Thanatomicrobiomementioning

confidence: 99%

Postmortem Interval Estimation: New Approaches by the Analysis of Human Tissues and Microbial Communities’ Changes

Zapico

Adserias‐Garriga

2022

Forensic Sciences

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There are several methodologies available to estimate time since death based on different changes that a corpse undergoes after death. However, these methods are imprecise due to the decomposition process being affected by several factors, principally temperature and humidity. Current trends for the determination of the Postmortem Interval (PMI) attempt to estimate the PMI in a quantifiable manner, based on chemical changes on and in the body, summarized in the field of “thanatochemistry”. Although these methodologies have improved PMI estimates, additional research has been developed to increase the accuracy and precision of this determination. As a result, the fields of “thanatobiology” and “thanatomicrobiome” have emerged. Thanatobiology is based on the estimation of the PMI from DNA/RNA degradation, signaling pathways of cell death, and protein analysis. Thanatomicrobiome refers to changes in the bacterial communities as a consequence of the decomposition process. Although both approaches seem to improve PMI estimates, applications of thanatobiology methodologies are more appropriate in the first phases of decomposition, while thanatomicrobiome analyses are applicable in advanced stages. Further research is needed in these new fields in order to establish their applicability in forensic cases. This is a review of the current state-of-the-art methodology in these two subfields.

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“…The common use of MPS is on the near horizon as prices for consumables and the use of this equipment decreases. MPS is also seeing acceptance in other areas of non-human DNA typing such as in analyses of bacteria for post mortem interval [63,64] and now in tracking microbiomes [65,66] and was the subject of a recent review [67]. If the use of MPS is growing a profile in bacterial work, then there is every reason to expect the same acceptance and profile from eukaryotic and in particular vertebrate species.…”

Section: Conclusion On Animal Forensic Profilingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal Forensic Genetics

Linacre

2021

Genes

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Animal forensic genetics, where the focus is on non-human species, is broadly divided in two: domestic species and wildlife. When traces of a domestic species are relevant to a forensic investigation the question of species identification is less important, as the material comes from either a dog or a cat for instance, but more relevant may be the identification of the actual pet. Identification of a specific animal draws on similar methods to those used in human identification by using microsatellite markers. The use of cat short tandem repeats to link a cat hair to a particular cat paved the way for similar identification of dogs. Wildlife forensic science is becoming accepted as a recognised discipline. There is growing acceptance that the illegal trade in wildlife is having devasting effects on the numbers of iconic species. Loci on the mitochondrial genome are used to identify the most likely species present. Sequencing the whole locus may not be needed if specific bases can be targeted. There can be benefits of increased sensitivity using mitochondrial loci for species testing, but occasionally there is an issue if hybrids are present. The use of massively parallel DNA sequencing has a role in the identification of the ingredients of traditional medicines where studies found protected species to be present, and a potential role in future species assignments. Non-human animal forensic testing can play a key role in investigations provided that it is performed to the same standards as all other DNA profiling processes.

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Predicting the postmortem interval of burial cadavers based on microbial community succession

Cited by 32 publications

References 36 publications

Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics

Applications of massively parallel sequencing in forensic genetics

Postmortem Interval Estimation: New Approaches by the Analysis of Human Tissues and Microbial Communities’ Changes

Animal Forensic Genetics

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