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: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.
Project description:Purpose: RNA analysis of post-mortem tissues, or thanathotranscriptomics, has become a topic of interest in forensic science due to the essential information it can provide in forensic case investigations. Several studies have previously investigated the effect of death on gene transcription, but it has never been conducted with samples of the same individual. Methods: For the first time, a longitudinal mRNA expression analysis study was performed with post-mortem human blood samples from individuals with a known time of death. Results: The results reveal that, after death, two clearly differentiated groups of up- and down-regulated genes can be detected. Pathway analysis suggests active processes, rather than passive degradation, are the source of early post-mortem changes of gene expression in blood. In addition, a generalised linear model with an elastic net restriction predicted post-mortem interval with an RMSE of 4.88 hours. Conclusions: Although promising, the forensic relevance of the model is currently limited and should be further improved in more extended studies.