Project description:Advances in molecular diagnostics have enabled accurate disease diagnosis. However, the application of molecular biology technology in the field of forensic medicine, especially in forensic pathology, is still limited. Degraded samples with altered physicochemical properties pose challenges for molecular techniques. Identifying degradation-resistant, sensitive techniques is key for forensic molecular pathology. ATAC-seq maps open chromatin and is increasingly used in disease diagnosis and mechanism studies. Given forensic use of degraded DNA, we explored ATAC-seq's potential for analyzing degraded forensic samples. In a TBI model, ATAC-seq detected injury-induced chromatin changes after 2h degradation. We identified 1,432 TBI-associated loci with robust chromatin changes unaffected by degradation. These loci have potential as a panel of biomarkers for molecular diagnosis from degraded forensic samples.
Project description:Forensic body fluid identification is important for crime scene reconstruction. We used Illumina HumanMethylation 450K bead array containing over the 450,000 CpG sites in 16 body fluid samples to find novel DNA methylation marker for forensic body fluid identification. Examination of genome-wide DNA methylation profiling in 16 body fluid samples
Project description:Forensic body fluid identification is important for crime scene reconstruction. We used Illumina HumanMethylation 450K bead array containing over the 450,000 CpG sites in 16 body fluid samples to find novel DNA methylation marker for forensic body fluid identification.
Project description:This research highlights the importance of combining genomics and metabolomics to advance our understanding of the chemical diversity underpinning fungal signaling and communication.
Project description:In this study, we performed miRNA profiling of nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) in MDMA users and control postmortem human brains, which were obtained from Council of Forensic Medicine (Istanbul). According to the microarray analysis of significantly differentially expressed miR-1202 and miR-7975 were selected for further validation using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression level of miR-7975 was significantly lower in 30 VTA region of MDMA samples compared to 30 control samples. Another significantly deregulated miR-1202 was down-regulated in 30 NAc region of MDMA samples in comparison to 30 control samples. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that changes in miRNA expression levels are associated with postmortem MDMA users’ brains. Alteration of these miRNAs can serve as novel biomarkers for prediction of MDMA addiction. Our findings suggest that certain differentially expressed miRNAs in MDMA seeking behavior can be used as diagnostics and therapeutic markers.
Project description:Identifying the type and origin of biological samples left at a crime scene is crucial in forensic investigations as it can provide important clues for crime scene reconstruction and linkages between victim/perpetrator/scene. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are considered to be more stable than mRNA due to their small size and protection by protein and have been demonstrated to be a viable tool for body fluid identification in forensic casework. To screen reliable body-fluid specific miRNAs, ten arrays were performed in five body fluids (peripheral blood, menstrual blood, saliva, semen and vaginal secretion). Two arrays were carried out for each body fluid: three samples for the first and the other two for the second (for menstrual blood, the second array detected three samples).
Project description:Since monozygotic twins (MZTs) share extremely similar genomic DNA sequences, they cannot be distinguished by conventional forensic STR genotyping. The utilization of epigenetic factors in forensic application has gradually risen over the last few years. Epigenetic factors are characterized by dynamic changes and can be either inherited or accumulated as a result of acquired environmental influences. In this study, we analyzed the tsRNAs expression profiles in peripheral blood from four pairs of adult MZTs using PANDORA-sequencing (PANDORA-seq). Subsequently, the differential expressed tsRNAs (DEtsRNAs) were screened and confirmed by RT-qPCR and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in both adult and newborn MZTs. Additionally, the characteristics of the DEtsRNAs including longitudinal temporal stability, suitability for aged bloodstains and multigelation were evaluated.